Man City fan given Football Banning Order

A Manchester City fan who committed an unprovoked assault on a Brighton and Hove Albion supporter has been given a Football Banning Order.

The three-year order prohibits Matthew Delaney from attending any Manchester City or England game played in the UK within the next three years.

It follows an incident close to the Bridge Car Park at Falmer, around 4pm on Sunday 31 August last year, shortly after the conclusion of Brighton’s Premier League victory over Manchester City.

The victim – a 54-year-old man from Haywards Heath – had been pushing his bike towards the car park to meet his daughter when he was approached by two men.

They verbally abused the victim, who asked them to leave him alone. In response to this, Delaney slapped the bicycle helmet the man was wearing, before punching him twice to the face, causing injury. He was subsequently treated by medics.

Delaney was arrested and charged with committing actual bodily harm.

He pleaded guilty and at Brighton Magistrates’ Court on 29 January, he was given a three-year Football Banning Order.

The court ordered Delaney:

1. To notify the Football Banning Orders Authority of any change of address.
2. Not to enter Manchester city centre and around the area of Manchester City's stadium on Saturdays and Sundays four hours prior to kick off and six hours on the conclusion of the fixture when Manchester City have a home fixture, and on any other weekday from 4pm to 12 midnight when Manchester City have a home fixture.
3. Not to attend any town or city in the United Kingdom on a day that Manchester City are playing there.
4. On any day when the England Senior Men’s National Team are playing a fixture within England, Wales or Scotland the defendant must not enter the town, city or parish boundary wherein that fixture is being played, during the period eight hours before until eight hours after the scheduled kick off time.
5. Not to go within three miles (linear and in a circumference) of the stadium centre spot of any regulated international football match played in the United Kingdom during a period four hours prior to the scheduled kick-off time, until six hours following the scheduled kick-off time.

Nb. This includes all matches played in connection with the European Football Championships 2028 (Euro 2028) within the UK

The 19-year-old, of Lesley Road in Stretford, Trafford, was also ordered to pay £225 in compensation, a £265 fine, £85 costs and a £106 victim surcharge.

PC Sam Smith, Sussex Police’s dedicated football officer, said: “Assaulting an innocent member of public is unacceptable at any time, let alone when it happens outside a large scale sporting event with lots of families and young children present.

“Football Banning Orders enable us to hold offenders to account, to prevent them from committing any further incidents, and ultimately to protect the public from harm.”