Benidorm trip lands Blackpool football fan in trouble

A man who defied a Football Banning Order (FBO) and went abroad during Euro 2016 has appeared at court.
Wayne Rooney and co are not the only ones to slip up during Euro 2016Wayne Rooney and co are not the only ones to slip up during Euro 2016
Wayne Rooney and co are not the only ones to slip up during Euro 2016

Ryan Douglas should have handed in his passport to police during the championships, but on hearing his request to the authorities to go to Spain had been refused, he still went.

Douglas, 21, of Chepstow Road, Grange Park, pleaded guilty to breaching an FBO.

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He was fined £300 with £85 costs and ordered to pay £30 victims’ surcharge by Blackpool magistrates. Presiding magistrate, Marilyn Padgett, told him: “There are many times you have not obeyed the orders of the court or police.”

Prosecutor, Martine Connah, said Douglas had been put on a three-year FBO in November 2013 for a public order offence at a football match and going on to the pitch.

The order required him to attend Blackpool Central police station and surrender his passport from May 31 to June 1, during the tournament, held in France. Douglas applied to the UK Football Policing Unit requesting to be able to travel to Spain but his application was refused.

Suzanne Mugford, defending, said a surprise holiday to Benidorm was booked for his grandfather’s 60th birthday.

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Douglas got a phone call from the football policing unit to say his request to travel abroad had been agreed to, but minutes later he received another call from the unit saying it had been denied.

He decided to take a chance and go on the family holiday.

There was no suggestion he had attended any football matches while abroad.