Football ban for man who lit flare in stadium

Image source, Richard Sellers/PA Wire

Image caption, Owen McAvoy also received a fine for lighting a flare at the Riverside Stadium

A man has been banned from attending football matches for five years after he lit a flare in a stadium.

Owen McAvoy ignited a marine flare under a plastic banner in the stands at Middlesbrough's Riverside Stadium during a Stoke City match last year, Cleveland Police said.

McAvoy, 21, from Linthorpe, in Middlesbrough, was issued a banning order at Teesside Magistrates' Court on Tuesday.

PC Chris Hilton said lighting the flare in a crowd of thousands of fans could have led to "mass panic and potential injuries".

McAvoy was arrested following the match on 28 October 2023, police said.

He pleaded guilty on 13 August and was fined 拢2,050, including costs, for possession of a firework or flare at a sporting event.

McAvoy was also banned from attending any football games in the United Kingdom for the next five years, with extra restrictions on Middlesbrough game days.

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