Football hooligan who was on MI6 watchlist and 'abused Manchester United fans' banned from matches

One of Britain's most prolific football hooligans who was accused of goading and abusing Manchester United fans has been banned from attending matches. Liam Newton, 32, has been on an MI6 watchlist of known troublemakers at West Ham games both in the UK and abroad since 2014, a court heard.

Hammers fan Newton was part of a group of so-called 'risk supporters' and caused chaos at nine different matches, with Manchester United, Birmingham City, Tottenham Hotspur and Middlesbrough as well as French team Lyon and German sides Schalke 04 and Frankfurt.

Giving evidence at Stratford Magistrates' Court this week, the self-employed engineer said verbal abuse between rival fans was 'commonplace' in Britain and 'that's just football unfortunately'.

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Handing him a three-year ban, district judge John Law, reports the Mirror, said of Newton: "He enjoys the camaraderie of being with other supporters in a risk group amid the tension of the outbreak of potential violence, which he says is part of the game."

The case comes after a number of pitch invasions following games in England, including at Manchester City’s Premier League title win over Aston Villa last weekend, during which Aston Villa keeper Robin Olsen claimed he was assaulted. And last week Crystal Palace boss Patrick Vieira was involved in an altercation with an Everton supporter during a pitch invasion following the side's defeat at Goodison Park.

The Metropolitan Police previously applied for a banning order against Newton, of Wickford, Essex, after he was identified as a risk supporter at four football matches between 2014 and 2016 - but the force lost.