A court has imposed a three-year football banning order on a 21-year-old man from Brighton.
Sussex Police applied for the order after a series of incidents of anti-social behaviour involving Ellis Bonner, of Ringmer Close, Brighton.
The application said that Bonner had “caused or contributed to violence or disorder” in breach of the Football Spectators Act 1989.
The force said: “It was not in relation to a specific crime but following months of intelligence gathering.”
Police said that his behaviour included but was not limited to several incidents in various places including Brighton and Hove Albion’s home match against Crystal Palace on Sunday 8 February.
Bonner, who did not have an official ticket for the match, shouted obscenities at away fans after Palace beat Brighton 1-0 defeat at the Amex Stadium.
He was also alleged to have been part of a group that chanted abuse, dodged train fares and behaved in an anti-social way when Worthing FC travelled to Salisbury on Saturday 10 January.
And he was accused of goading Milton Keynes fans on the day of their game against Barnet on Saturday 21 March.
He was said to have thrown a drinks can at a fan after Worthing drew 1-1 at Enfield Town on Saturday 28 March.
PC Sam Smith, a dedicated football officer for Sussex Police, said: “These are just a small number of examples of incidents Bonner has been involved in since the start of 2026.
“It is clear he plays an influential role in groups who actively seek to confront, goad and engage in verbal or physical violence against other fans.
“This sort of behaviour causes a significant strain on emergency services resources and it also affects local communities including businesses and the public.
“It also damages the reputation of genuine football fans who simply wish to attend matches to support their team.
“We applied for a football banning order against Bonner to prevent him from engaging in violence and disorder and to help send a message to others that this behaviour will not be tolerated.”
The order was imposed by Brighton Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday 21 October and lasts for three years.
It prohibits Bonner from
- entering Worthing town and / or the area around the Sussex Transport Community Stadium, Woodside Road, Worthing, on any weekend when Worthing FC have a home match from four hours before kick-off to six hours after the final whistle
- entering Barnet and / or the area around the Hive Stadium, Camrose Avenue, London, on any weekend when Barnet FC have a home match from four hours before kick-off to six hours after the final whistle
- entering any town or city in the UK on a day when Worthing FC or Barnet FC are playing there from four hours before kick-off to six hours after the final whistle
- entering any town or city in the UK on a day when the England senior men’s national team are playing there from eight hours before kick-off to eight hours after the final whistle
- going within three miles of the stadium centre spot of any regulated international football match played in England, Wales or Scotland from four hours before the scheduled kick-off to six hours afterwards when England, Wales or Scotland are not playing during the European Championships 2028
