A drunk fan who bared his bum and sunbathed on turnstile roof at Carlisle United’s Brunton Park has been fined and slapped with a football banning order.
Lifelong Tranmere Rovers supporter Allan Sutton, 41, sparked a four-and-a-half hour incident during his team’s 3pm League 2 game on August 31.
Carlisle Magistrates’ Court heard Sutton was twice refused entry to the stadium, first due to a ticket discrepancy and then after being abusive to stewards when subject to a search while drunk and swaying, with slurred speech and glazed eyes.
Sutton left that area but after the game kicked off he was seen to have scaled a turnstile roof at the Waterworks End of United’s ground. He tried to keep his balance holding on to a metal lighting pole and walked on the roof.
Sutton refused to relent and at one stage pulled down his trousers, exposing his bum. He remained on the roof throughout the game and after full-time as spectators dispersed.
“He continued to be aggressive and abusive, shouting at members of the public as they walked past, including families and children, and also players with their children,” said prosecutor Diane Jackson.
“He switched between being abusive, FaceTiming his friends and sunbathing. At 7.30pm he made a decision to come down from the roof after four-and-a-half hours when he was arrested.”
During the incident, members of the emergency services — including firefighters and paramedics — were on standby.
The court heard Sutton had been jailed for five years in 2015 after breaking into the wrong house in Prenton, Wirral, while drunk and mistakenly attacking a terrified stranger.
Sutton, of Carr Bridge Road, Wirral, admitted a public order charge following the Carlisle incident and was not legally represented in court. “I’m just disappointed in myself,” he said.
Sutton did not oppose the banning order sought by police. Asked about the impact this would have, he said: “I’ve watched Tranmere since I was four years old. I’ve never caused trouble at the football before. It’s not something I go and do.”
Magistrates fined Sutton £400 and ordered him to pay a surcharge and prosecution costs. They also made a three-year football banning order. This prohibits Sutton being within a mile of Tranmere’s Prenton Park stadium — and all other professional football grounds for four hours before and also after matches. The ban also applied to England national team fixtures.
Lead magistrate Jill Robinson told Sutton: “Your behaviour wasted a lot of emergency services workers’ time. That time could have been needed in a more pressing situation than watching you behave in that way on a roof.
“That behaviour will not be accepted. You would be thinking the same if your family was in danger; if you needed these emergency workers.”
