NINE Norwich City fans are today starting jail terms after going on the rampage in Leicester city centre.

Josh Warwick

NINE Norwich City fans are today starting jail terms after going on the rampage in Leicester city centre.

Three other Canaries fans were given suspended jail sentences and ordered to carry out unpaid work, while two Leicester City fans were also jailed following trouble when the two sides met on Saturday, February 16 last year.

All of the defendants who appeared at Leicester Crown Court yesterday were given football banning orders for six years.

Judge Michael Pert QC told the defendants: “It was pure chance no-one was hurt. I have to send a message that this kind of activity has nothing to do with football, and it shows no consideration for the rights of innocent bystanders. It was gratuitous thuggery.”

The court heard that trouble had flared when a group of Norwich City fans left the match at the Walkers Stadium early and started walking into the city centre where they met a group of Leicester fans.

CCTV footage showed the fans hurling missiles at one another including bricks, concrete blocks and chairs. One brick landed at the feet of a young girl standing nearby, but luckily no-one was injured.

Ten of the Norwich fans had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to affray and three had pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of threatening behaviour. The Norwich fans jailed for seven months were James Asbery, 25, of Kingswood Avenue, Taverham, Nigel Broom, 38, of Orchard Road, Spixworth, Andrew Collison, 41, of Olive Road, Norwich, Gary Cox, 46, of Aldryche Road, Norwich, Leon Horton, 44, of Wilks Farm Drive, Sprowston and Ben Potter, 36, of North Park Avenue, Norwich.

Mark Gilby, 44, of Greenacres Drive, Poringland, Mark Hipperson, 38, of Saxon Meadows, Bawdeswell and Michael Davies, 39, of Guernsey Road, Norwich, were jailed for three months.

Adam Ford, 21, of St William's Way, Norwich, Thomas Stammler, 20, of Ferrars Court, Huntingdon and Paul Cossey, 21, of Marlingford Way, Easton, were given suspended sentences of seven months for two years and ordered to carry out 100 hours' unpaid work. Jamie Gilligan, 18, of Unthank Road, Norwich, who had previously pleaded guilty to affray, will be sentenced next week.

Leicester fans Graham Anstiss, 45, of Wycombe Road, New Humberstone, and his son Damian Anstiss, 23, of Ditchling Avenue, Dane Hills, were jailed for seven months.