A youth football referee who let off a red flare when Liverpool scored at the Amex has been given a football banning order
Lewis George, 21, was in the south stand on 19 May when he let off the flare just after the first goal of the game.
Yesterday, he was fined and banned from going to regulated football matches for three years.
Prosecuting, Megan Attree said police studied CCTV footage after the flare had been set off. She said: “The defendant can been seen to pull a pyrotechnic from the front of his jumper and deploys it.
“He continues to discharge it over a section of the south stand. Police attended and initially he provided false details before they were provided by his father.”
Defending, Russell Wild said George, who was only 20 when the incident happened, was a young man who never usually got into trouble.
He said: “He doesn’t particularly recall where he came into the possession of the flare but when Liverpool scored in the nineth minute he accepts that he very, very foolishly let it off.
“When he sees smoke is blowing into someone’s face, he puts it on the floor and tries to extinguish it.
“Since 16, he has refereed junior matches and his character references speak highly of his ability to calm things down.
“You can imagine the shock and horror his family felt when he, of all people, got involved in something like this.
“Making a football banning order is likely to have a knock-on effect with regard to his refereeing. He may well not be able to referee these matches in local leagues in future.
“This was a single isolated incident which he immediately regretted.”
PC Sam Smith said Sussex Police was keen to send the message that flares are not welcome at football matches.
He said: “There’s a trend of fans taking flares into matches but they pose a danger to everyone in the stadium.
“It’s a criminal offence and people are still bringing them in.
“They can cause burns or breathing problems and there’s a fire hazard and can cause damage to grounds and their surroundings.”
As well as the banning order, George, of Chapel-en-le-Frith, Derbyshire, was also fined £184 and ordered to pay a £74 victim surcharge and £85 costs.
Surprised he didn’t call on VAR. lol