Got something to say or just want fewer pesky ads? Join us... 😊

Register Log in

[Albion] THREE YEAR banning order for running onto the pitch at the Amex...



Titanic

Titanic

Super Moderator
Helpful Moderator
Jul 5, 2003
39,098
West Sussex
https://www.sussex.police.uk/news/s...=Facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=Orlo

A football supporter has been banned from attending matches after he ran onto the pitch at the American Express Community Stadium.

Jacob Helmsley, 24, made offensive gestures to opposing supporters during the Brighton and Hove Albion fixture against Crystal Palace on January 14.

He had entered the field of play to celebrate following a goal scored by Brighton and Hove Albion and made gestures to incite the Crystal Palace supporters.

He then ran back into the stands in a bid to evade being detected. But thanks to excellent CCTV, club staff kept track of him and were able to hand him over to the police for an arrest just minutes later at half time.

While speaking to officers, he stated: “Mate, I just ran on the pitch in front of all those people.”
 




Titanic

Titanic

Super Moderator
Helpful Moderator
Jul 5, 2003
39,098
West Sussex
“Helmsley was given a Football Banning Order for three years which prevents him attending all football events within the UK and bars him from travel when the England team are playing outside the UK. He also faces further action from Brighton and Hove Albion.

“This is the price he has to pay for his moment of madness.”

A Brighton and Hove Albion club spokesperson said: "We welcome the verdict and thank Sussex Police and the court for their support in prosecuting the offender.

"There is never an excuse for supporters to leave the stands and to enter the pitch in this way, as puts their own and others safety at risk.

"We saw a worrying trend in pitch incursions at the end of last season across the UK, and all supporters should be reminded this is a criminal offence.

"The safety of players, officials, stewards and staff is of paramount importance, and it is essential they are able to go about their work without the disruption or fear of pitch invasions.

"So, in addition to the punishment handed down by the court, he will also face a significant ban from all home and away Brighton & Hove Albion fixtures."
 




Nobby Cybergoat

Nobby Cybergoat

Well-known member
Jul 19, 2021
6,990
Sad for the fella, but examples will need to be made of people to prevent some of the appalling scenes witnessed at the end of last season
 


Badger Boy

Badger Boy

Mr Badger
Jan 28, 2016
3,655
It's the absolute minimum he deserves. He should get his head down, think about his priorities in life and then see where he is in three years time. There is no excuse for running on the pitch and it needs to be stamped out for everyone's benefit. Maybe he'll take up playing Saturday league football instead and gain some respect for the pitch.
 




M

mothy

Well-known member
Dec 30, 2012
2,104
Oh my. I'm guessing the miserable farts on here moaning about the idiots over exuberance aren't capable of running, never mind jumping onto the pitch.

There's a time & place to go onto the pitch- this isn't it but he hasn't done a lot wrong other than trespas
 


N

Neville's Breakfast

Well-known member
May 1, 2016
13,423
Oxton, Birkenhead
mothy said:
Oh my. I'm guessing the miserable farts on here moaning about the idiots over exuberance aren't capable of running, never mind jumping onto the pitch.

There's a time & place to go onto the pitch- this isn't it but he hasn't done a lot wrong other than trespas
Click to expand...

You mean like when you win the league and want to assault the opposition goalkeeper ?
 






S

Springal

Well-known member
Feb 12, 2005
23,837
GOSBTS
Idiot. So good - and hopefully a deterrent.
 




Luke93

Luke93

STAND OR FALL
Jun 23, 2013
5,030
Shoreham
Neville's Breakfast said:
You mean like when you win the league and want to assault the opposition goalkeeper ?
Click to expand...

Obviously that’s unacceptable.

But where do we draw the line? Should Brighton also issue 3 year bans for every Brighton fan that celebrated on the pitch following promotion to the premier league in 2017?
 




Psychobilly freakout

Psychobilly freakout

HellBilly
Feb 23, 2009
23,015
Brighton factually.....
The very same game this happened.

A Palace fan who “made a complete fool of himself” by invading the pitch at the Amex is really a “good egg” who doesn’t deserve a football banning order, a court heard yesterday.

Alexander Murphy, 22, ran onto the pitch during the Albion vs Palace derby game on 14 January, just after Palace scored.

Brighton and Hove Magistrates Court was shown a video in which he ran onto the pitch making gestures at Albion fans and slipping over, before dodging stewards and running back into the stands.

Defending, Robert Gregory said: “It’s said that gestures are made and that the behaviour is antagonistic towards Brighton and Hove Albion fans.



“As you watch footage, you see Mr Murphy fall over and you hear a massive cheer. It’s the same funny kind of cheer when someone breaks a glass in the pub, which shows fans were finding this amusing.

“Murphy puts his hand behind his ears – at this point fans are still finding it amusing. They’re not antagonised, they’re not trying to run onto the pitch to catch him.

“You cannot tell if he’s holding up his middle finger or making a rude gesture, or simply waving.

“A Brighton fan threw a chair towards the away end, and police are linking the throwing of that chair to my client running onto the pitch and slipping over, making a complete fool of himself.



“You cannot link the two. They are not inextricably linked at all.”

He said Murphy has been a Palace fan with his brother for 15 years now, and a season ticket holder for 10 years, and has never been in trouble before.

He is a qualified engineer, is currently working as an assistant manager, and has fundraised extensively for British Heart Foundation following the death of a schoolfriend.

Mr Gregory added: “He’s a good egg. You are not going to see Mr Murphy before this court again. I really doubt that.

“Crystal Palace were under the cosh. Suddenly they pulled a goal out of nowhere and the away fans have gone into a furore, thinking how did we do that.

“The moment overcame Mr Murphy.

“He completely accepts that going onto the pitch was completely the wrong thing to do. He’s prepared a letter to Brighton and Hove Albion FC and Crystal Palace apologising for his behaviour.”

Prosecuting, David Packer said: “There’s often significant disorder before, during and after fixtures between these games and it’s deemed high risk.

“Mr Murphy was sitting in the south stand and is a Crystal Palace fan by his own admission.

“Palace scored in the 69th minute. He jumped over the pitch side bars and entered the field of play, running towards the east stand and made gestures towards home fans, then ran back.

“His picture was disseminated between officers and he was found walking towards Falmer Station.

“He told them, ‘Obviously what I did was very wrong. I just want to say sorry. That was because I’m a Palace fan.'”

Murphy, of Baker Crescent, Dartford, admitted going onto the pitch, but opposed Sussex Police’s application for a football banning order.

The hearing was adjourned until 1 June.
I wonder what the final outcome was for the Place dude, three year banning order ?
 


Thunder Bolt

Thunder Bolt

Silly old bat
Aug 18, 2009
65,503
Beside the seaside, beside the sea
mothy said:
Oh my. I'm guessing the miserable farts on here moaning about the idiots over exuberance aren't capable of running, never mind jumping onto the pitch.

There's a time & place to go onto the pitch- this isn't it but he hasn't done a lot wrong other than trespas
Click to expand...

Trespass is a civil offence. There is a law (ie criminal law) about entering the field of play of a football pitch. He broke the law.
 


N

Neville's Breakfast

Well-known member
May 1, 2016
13,423
Oxton, Birkenhead
Luke93 said:
Obviously that’s unacceptable.

But where do we draw the line? Should Brighton also issue 3 year bans for every Brighton fan that celebrated on the pitch following promotion to the premier league in 2017?
Click to expand...

I was on the pitch in 2017 but things seem to have changed. There weren’t unsavoury incidents occurring back then. I don’t think I would go on in the current climate.
 






C

cunning fergus

Well-known member
Jan 18, 2009
4,747
Titanic said:
https://www.sussex.police.uk/news/s...=Facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=Orlo

A football supporter has been banned from attending matches after he ran onto the pitch at the American Express Community Stadium.

Jacob Helmsley, 24, made offensive gestures to opposing supporters during the Brighton and Hove Albion fixture against Crystal Palace on January 14.

He had entered the field of play to celebrate following a goal scored by Brighton and Hove Albion and made gestures to incite the Crystal Palace supporters.

He then ran back into the stands in a bid to evade being detected. But thanks to excellent CCTV, club staff kept track of him and were able to hand him over to the police for an arrest just minutes later at half time.

While speaking to officers, he stated: “Mate, I just ran on the pitch in front of all those people.”
Click to expand...



He’s lucky……some are being sent to jail……

https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/bristol-rovers-fan-jailed-handed-7200775

We can sleep safer in our beds knowing pitch invaders are being locked up.
 


R

rippleman

Well-known member
Oct 18, 2011
4,570
mothy said:
Oh my. I'm guessing the miserable farts on here moaning about the idiots over exuberance aren't capable of running, never mind jumping onto the pitch.

There's a time & place to go onto the pitch- this isn't it but he hasn't done a lot wrong other than trespas
Click to expand...

I was just thinking how many giving the lad dog's abuse have "entered the field of play" in the past. I have done - countless times. Exuberence. Celebration. Protest.

The lad didn't assault players or other fans. He just ran on the pitch. Three years is much too harsh and indicative of how precious the game has become.
 


Thunder Bolt

Thunder Bolt

Silly old bat
Aug 18, 2009
65,503
Beside the seaside, beside the sea
rippleman said:
I was just thinking how many giving the lad dog's abuse have "entered the field of play" in the past. I have done - countless times. Exuberence. Celebration. Protest.

The lad didn't assault players or other fans. He just ran on the pitch. Three years is much too harsh and indicative of how precious the game has become.
Click to expand...

It is indicative of the government passing laws that make it a criminal offence. Blame Thatcher and her lot.

The club turns a blind eye to promotions and celebrations obviously. Even then, I suspect the FL fined them.
 




thedonkeycentrehalf

thedonkeycentrehalf

Retired
Jul 7, 2003
8,625
rippleman said:
I was just thinking how many giving the lad dog's abuse have "entered the field of play" in the past. I have done - countless times. Exuberence. Celebration. Protest.

The lad didn't assault players or other fans. He just ran on the pitch. Three years is much too harsh and indicative of how precious the game has become.
Click to expand...

He didn't just enter the field of play - it wasn't exuberance and getting just over the wall in celebration, he ran onto the pitch and gestured to the opposition fans which most would agree is incitement and could have then led to further issues.
 


Badger Boy

Badger Boy

Mr Badger
Jan 28, 2016
3,655
rippleman said:
I was just thinking how many giving the lad dog's abuse have "entered the field of play" in the past. I have done - countless times. Exuberence. Celebration. Protest.

The lad didn't assault players or other fans. He just ran on the pitch. Three years is much too harsh and indicative of how precious the game has become.
Click to expand...

If you enter the field of the play, where you are most certainly not welcome, you accept the consequences of your actions. Many of us were "banned" for protesting in the War years, we knew the risk and did it despite them. He ran on the pitch, which you are not allowed to do. There is no ambiguity there, you do not have the right to enter the field of play. 3 years is a reasonable punishment and he will hopefully learn some respect for the game, if not the club, during his enforced absence.
 


You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Albion and Premier League latest from Sky Sports


Top
Link Here