On April 22, Stevenage FC fan Caleb Hough was carrying a “large flare” that was smelled out by a detection dog and described as “bigger than the normal smoke grenades we normally get” by a security guard.
Prosecutor Catherine Wilson claimed Hough, 22, told police, “I was just going to hold it,” before being handed a disposal order and told to leave Mansfield town centre.
His counsel stated that Hough, who had previously been a good character, had purchased the firework for £10 from Amazon after seeing it marketed for weddings and baby showers, and that he had witnessed several fans taking them to matches.
“He initially told officers that he didn’t have anything on him because he thought they were looking for drugs,” she explained.
“There has just been a crackdown.
The refrigeration engineer’s job could be jeopardized if he is barred from coming within three miles of football stadiums, according to the court.
Hough is a “non-risk supporter unlikely to engage in disorderly, criminal, or anti-social behavior,” according to his attorney, and the offense was “completely out of character.”
Hough, of The Oval, Nailstone, Nuneaton, admitted the charge at Mansfield Magistrates Court on Tuesday.
He was fined £153, with a £61 surcharge and £85 in costs.
“We can’t get away from the fact you went to a football match with pyrotechnics,” the presiding magistrate said.
“You spent a lot of money on it and carried it around with you. “You said you were going to do something with it.”If you’ve ever been to or seen a football game, you’ll know that whenever a flare is thrown in the crowd, the person involved is generally removed by the scruff of the neck.”
A three-year football ban has been given “to help prevent violence and disorder in football matches,” and Hough must attend to Mansfield police station to obtain full details of the order.
He must also submit his passport when certain matches are played outside of the United Kingdom.
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