It just took about one month to decide the disciplinary laps hearing by a city court and sentence a ban to the fan who invaded the pitch and almost confronted with United’s Ferdinand in the last month’s showdown between Manchester United and Manchester City. It was possibility one of the most devastating visual experiences for every spectator residing at the stadium and more who were watching the match via TV broadcasts. The event followed by a coin slap from the crowd on Ferdinand’s face, moreover, City goalie immediately stopped the fan from making any physical contact with the United’s striker. Now, the said fan has been slapped with a ban of three years from watching any game along with a suspended jail term of 56 days. Actually, as natural, home crowd lost its temper when Robin van Persie’s late winner crowned United the most exciting win and then whole event took place.
During the court proceedings, TV footages were played on to see how he invaded the pitch and abused the police officers taking him out of the pitch. Stott, who is a landscape gardener of Southfields; Knutsford, found guilty of pitch invasion along with using insulting words to security personnel. Prosecuting lawyer also told the judge that the accused had taken eight pints of lager before kick-off, so he was also drunk at that time. Taking all the evidence into account, magistrate sentenced him the ban along with 120 hours of community service, £145 in fine, and an 8pm to 6am home curfew for three months. Judge Richardson also praised the goalie Hart’s afford for stopping the accused from reaching Ferdinand otherwise it would have been a highly uncontrolled violence in the pitch.
Stott defending lawyer, Rebecca Caulfield, said in his defense that “He’s lost his job, he’s received death threats and his family has suffered intimidation by members of the public, in person, by telephone, camping outside his father’s flat, and threats on Facebook.” Moreover, the gardener has already apologized for his ‘ashamed’ act next morning but that too did not suffice his wrongdoing; hence been offered a judicious sentence. While pronouncing the judgment, District Judge Richardson said, “He chose to attack somebody on a football pitch. But for the timely and appropriate intervention of the City goalkeeper the situation would have been a lot worse and could have triggered a serious incident of disorder.”