Football yob who punched Shrewsbury Town fan gets three-year match ban
A football hooligan who punched a Shrewsbury Town fan in the face after a match has been banned from attending games for three years.
Scott Walls was arrested following a scuffle between opposing fans from the two sides, in Oteley Road, in Shrewsbury, on September 9.
The incident happened after Shrewsbury Town’s game against Wigan earlier this year.
Wigan fan Walls admitted an offence of using threatening behaviour at an earlier hearing on October 16 at Telford Magistrates Court.
He was sentenced to a 12-month community order with a requirement to carry out 80 hours unpaid work in the community, as well as paying £135 costs and £85 victim’s surcharge as a result.
Miss Sarah Beddow, prosecuting, said: “Scott Walls is a Wigan supporter and he was attending the game between Shrewsbury Town and Wigan.
“He and some friends had been drinking during the day.
“Following the match he had been walking along Oteley Road.
“They crossed the footbridge near the health club and he and some of his friends became involved in a violent confrontation with Shrewsbury supporters.
“Mr Walls admitted punching an unknown male five times when he saw that male standing over another Wigan supporter.
“There was a scuffle. He said he did not know why he punched that male other than he was standing there.”
The court heard that the football banning order was not dealt with at the same time, he had instead been sentenced for a public order matter due to lack of time to complete the proceedings.
Walls, 30, did not attend the latest hearing, which considered making him subject to a football banning order that would prevent him from attending matches anywhere in the world, after his solicitor wrote a letter to the court asking whether the matter could be heard in his absence.
After hearing details of the incident, magistrates banned Walls, of Wigan, Lancashire, for a minimum period of three years under the Football Spectators Act 1989.
Shrewsbury Town beat rivals Wigan at Montgomery Waters Meadow on September 9 by one goal to nil.
The home side climbed to the top of League One after what had been an astonishing victory over the bookmakers’ favourites.
