Man City: Swindon Town fan ends up in court after clash

City fans had thrown an object in the direction of Frazer William Carpenter and a group of Town supporters as they made their way to the County Ground ahead of the Friday night game, when he shouted to them: “Come on then you Manc c****.”

But he was right next to a line of police officers segregating the two sets of supporters and was charged with a public order offence.

Magistrates had been considering banning him from attending any football match in the country for three years, but decided against it, saying it was a “one-off incident” and a “stupid comment”.

Frazer Carpenter. Pic: Facebook.

But they warned Carpenter he must “consider what has happened to him because of one silly comment”.

The 30-year-old is already banned from attending home and away Swindon Town games after the incident, just over an hour before the hotly-anticipated FA Cup clash with the Premier League champions on January 7.

The evening, which saw Town put in a good performance despite losing 4-1, may well be remembered for the wrong reasons.

As well as this incident, a man was arrested in connection of the racial abuse of former Arsenal and Chelsea player Ashley Cole, who was working as a pundit with ITV. The 24-year-old man remains under investigation, Wiltshire Police confirmed on Wednesday.

Prosecutor Tom Power told Swindon Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday that Carpenter, of Moredon Park, had been on his way to the match at around 6.50pm when the incident occurred, near a police segregation line.

Something was thrown at the group of Town fans he was in, when he replied: “Come on then you Manc c****.”

Swindon lost 4-1 to Manchester City last month.

However, Mr Power said that there were children nearby and asked for a football banning order to be made, preventing the 30-year-old from attending any match in the country for the next three years.

“The phrase used was antagonistic towards Manchester City fans and was said to rile or goad them in some way.”

Mitigating, Mark Glendenning told the court that Carpenter accepted that he made the comments, adding: “He accepts that emotions are running high, you will be aware football is a tribal sport and that there are many emotions on the day.

“It looks as if there is something thrown towards the Swindon supporters. He has made the comment. It is one comment, which he is quite happy to accept, it amounts to a section 5 public order offence.”

But he highlighted the defendant’s lack of previous convictions and the fact he is a full-time roofer.

Mr Glendenning asked magistrates to consider whether a banning order would be proportionate, mentioning he is already banned from Swindon games.

On home matchdays, he must not enter part of the town three hours before kick-off and two hours after, and on away days, he must not go within four miles of the stadium Town are playing in the same time period.

He said a banning order in this situation was “draconian and excessive, and I ask that you do not make that order”.

Magistrates fined Carpenter £466, which was reduced from £700 for his early guilty plea. They also ordered him to pay £85 in court costs and a £46 victim surcharge.

However, they did not make a banning order, with chairman of the bench, Andy Brown, saying: “I think everyone accepts there was a nexus; this was football-related.

“Having listened to what’s been said here, we do not feel that there are reasonable grounds to grant a football banning order.

“We’re taking that this was a one-off incident, no further evidence of wider football related offending has been shown.

“We’re taking it as a stupid comment.”

Addressing Carpenter, Mr Brown continued: “However, you need to consider what has happened to you because of that one silly comment you have made.

"You’re here, you have been fined quite heavily, and we were thinking of banning you for five years.

“Do something again and you could not be going to football for many years.”