Portsmouth fans who posed as stewards to enter stadium hit with three-year bans

Two Portsmouth fans who posed as stewards in order to enter a sold-out match against rivals Southampton have been hit with three-year stadium bans.

Bothers Dale Green, 31, and Kane Green, 29, donned high-vis vests and radio equipment and managed to access a restricted area next to the pitch at St Mary’s stadium.

With Portsmouth facing Southampton in the league for the first time in 13 years, they travelled to the south coast derby without tickets.

But after successfully entering the stadium, the pair were detected by security after they were spotted not wearing match accreditation and were then ejected by police officers.

Both men pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation and going onto playing area of a football match and were given a three-year banning order at Southampton Magistrates Court, as well as a £700 fine each.

“This was a ridiculous plot to try and see the game, despite knowing tickets were sold out and those without tickets would not be getting in,” assistant chief constable Tony Rowlinson said.

“They clearly came with the intention to get into the stadium illegally, bringing high-vis vests with ‘steward’ on the back, with one even carrying a radio and earpiece.”

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The court heard Kane Green denied being near the pitch and said he “only wanted to get in to watch the game and didn’t intend to do anything else”. He also told officers with the hope of buying tickets outside, but came prepared with the high-vis vest, radio and earpiece in case he couldn’t get one.

The match at St Mary’s finished 0-0.