Portsmouth FC fan banned from football and faces jail after trouble at Millwall match
A Pompey fan has been banned from football and faces jail after admitting threatening behaviour and intending to provoke violence at Portsmouth’s recent match with Millwall at Fratton Park.
Tensions boiled over after Pompey’s 1-0 defeat to the south Londoners in the Carabao Cup first round at Fratton Park last month.
Police vans were seen blocking Goldsmith Avenue to allow Millwall fans to get to Fratton train station unharmed as the force battled to keep a lid on matters. A police officer took a blow to the head in clashes outside the north east corner of the ground.
Southsea man George Shipp, 26, of Eastfield Road, was the only person arrested and charged in the fall-out. He has now appeared at Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court where he admitted using threatening words/behaviour with intent to cause fear or provoke unlawful violence.
Shipp will be sentenced on December 3 but was banned from attending any regulated football match in the meantime with him given strict conditions to follow. These include not to enter any town or city where Pompey are playing an away match from 12 hours before kick off until six hours after the game starts. He was given a map of exclusion zones when Portsmouth are playing at Fratton Park.
An application for a football banning order has been made for Shipp who could be sent to jail for his actions after magistrates called for an all-options pre-sentence report on him. He was granted conditional bail.
A police spokesperson previously said: “Just after the game at approximately 9.40pm on Tuesday 13 August, there was a verbal altercation between opposing fans outside the north east corner of the ground.
“Officers intervened to separate the group but one officer was struck to his head, causing minor injuries. We have not yet identified the person responsible for the officer assault.
“George Shipp, 26, of Eastfield Road in Southsea has been charged on suspicion of using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour to cause harassment, alarm or distress.”
The spokesperson added: “Police blocked part of Goldsmith Avenue temporarily so the away fans could get to the train station.”