Three Shrewsbury men who were involved in a brawl after an FA Cup match in Walsall have been banned from attending matches in England and Wales.

The men admitted charges of football-related disorder outside Tamebridge Parkway railway station in Wednesbury last November following the tie between Walsall and Shrewsbury Town, Walsall Magistrates Court heard.

Nicholas Aaron Rogers, 21, of Wayford Close; Luke Suter, 20, of Whitehouse Gardens, and James Malcolm Blackburn, 22, of Mary Webb Road, all appeared in court yesterday.

Rogers was given 180 hours community service, £120 costs and a three-year football banning order, Suter was given 100 hours community service, £120 costs and a three-year football banning order, and Blackburn received 100 hours community service, £120 costs and a three-year football banning order.

Mark Anthony Hadlington, 20, of Chatford Drive, Shrewsbury, also pleaded guilty yesterday.

At the time of the offence he was already serving a two-year suspended sentence for another matter. He will be sentenced at Wolverhampton Crown Court on September 16.

The disorder broke out after a match between Walsall and Shrewsbury Town at Banks’s Stadium on November 10, 2007.

British Transport Police launched Operation Highway to investigate the disorder and arrested 15 men.

To date 12 have admitted charges or been found guilty, with 11 banned from attending League and Conference football matches in England and Wales.

Operation Highway involved early morning raids on January 8, 2008, where BTP officers arrested 11 Shrewsbury Town followers.

Two other men from Shrewsbury and a further two Walsall supporters from Wednesbury, were arrested on a later date in connection with the incident.

Chief Inspector Kevin Marshall, from British Transport Police, said: “The football banning underlines BTP’s commitment to crack down on football-related disorder on the rail network.

“The police will seek the toughest penalties and the bans should serve as a warning to hooligans that violence and disorder on the railways will not be tolerated.”

By Russell Roberts