Reported in the MUEN today a group of Blues were in a bar when a group of Utd fans attacked them and started throwing stuff through the windows. The Blues defended themselves and the Utd fans ran off, but the City fans got nicked & banned for 5 years.

http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/news/s/1486733_manchester-city-fans-banned-from-football-grounds-for-five-years-after-derby-day-fracas-in-hulme

not very one sided...

If they are so innocent why did they plead guilty?

This is a bit disturbing to me. You are inside a pub,a few miles from the ground and after the match has finished minding your own business. A huge mob of rival fans attacks the pub. You try and defend yourself and are charged. What are you supposed to do,cower in fear and get injured and wait for the police,who take ages to respond,to arrive?

And as it was not at a football match why are they banned from football??

They would have pleaded guilty because they admitted to using a pool cue and stuff to defend themselves so in the laws eyes they would be deemed to be using an offensive weapon and guilty of affray. It is absolute bollocks and if someone attacks someone minding their own business they deserve everything coming to them,law or no law.The graveyards are full of people trying to reason and appease thugs.

Reading that it is a case of plead guilty and you won't go down, sounds like the police going for the easy targets, where are the arrests for the attackers!

All quite high profile supporters so a ban was always on the cards. Police on there case for a while.

^^^ this post is bang on

This is it exactly! They obviously had used improvised weapons to defend themselves when under attack so in the eyes of the law were guilty. If they had pleaded not guilty a custodial sentence would have been given in all probability.

And what about the scum who stormed the pub?....The police couldn't catch any of them,or identify anyone from cctv as they probably walked a couple of miles along roads full of cameras to get to the pub?

Now if they were in there house & defended themselves against intruders Even Cameron would be in front of the cameras saying they have the right to act in self defence

I mean I wasn't there and I'm presuming most of us weren't either so we can only presume what went down, and obviously we will tend to side with the City Fans..... But if all is truth this conviction means anyone who rightly defends themselves is prone to recieving a lengthy football banning order.

Myself I would of plead not guilty if I knew I had done nothing wrong, this is what justice is about right?

Seems from other post's the lads had a reputation anyway?