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.
