Football fan banned from attending games over Munich disaster chants | UK News

A drunken football fan who mocked the Munich air disaster has been banned from attending games for three years.

James Blake, 42, was arrested by Northumbria Police for making hateful comments after a video of him circulated on social media following Newcastle United’s victory over Manchester City on September 27.

He was charged with a public order offence, namely disorderly conduct, and pleaded guilty to the offence.

During his sentencing at Tyneside Magistrates Court today, Blake was fined £400 and ordered to pay £620 costs and a £160 surcharge, which he agreed to pay immediately.

Blake was filmed by a YouTuber outside St James’s Park saying: ‘How? What about Man United? Air disasters, air disasters.’ A child, not related to Blake, then joined in.

The court heard the comments were a reference to the plane crash in 1958, in which eight Manchester United players were among the 23 people who died.

Among the survivors was Ashington-born World Cup winner Sir Bobby Charlton, who died in October aged 86.

Blake, a self-employed painter and decorator earning £400 a week who wore Stone Island jeans and a Lacoste sweater for the hearing, admitted a charge of using threatening or abusive behaviour likely to cause alarm, harassment or distress.

Steven Davis, prosecuting, said the comment was made on the night Newcastle United beat Manchester City in the Carabao Cup, on September 27.

Following the cup win, Newcastle were drawn against Manchester United.

But Dave Parish, defending Blake, said that the comments about the air disaster were made before Newcastle had even played the cup tie with City, and therefore before fans knew that they were to face Manchester United in the next round.

Mr Parish said: ‘He is ashamed, remorseful and frankly disgusted with his behaviour.’

The solicitor said Blake had been drinking with Manchester City fans before the game and was ‘highly intoxicated’.

Mr Parish said Blake had ‘picked up’ some of what the City fans had been singing about.

The comments were uploaded to YouTube then a clip was taken and shared on Twitter, now X, after the cup tie, the court was told.

As a result of being arrested, Blake has had his Newcastle season ticket suspended, the court heard, and he has received death threats.

Mr Parish said: ‘This is not responding to the (cup) draw, this is not trying to goad or upset other fans, this is pure and simple drunken stupidity.’

Chair of the bench, Jane Barnes, said the offence was aggravated because children were present and he had been drinking.

She said the football ban was justified, adding: ‘You knew that it was being recorded and as a result of that, the recording was shown on social media.’

When Blake was told the conditions of the banning order, which include reporting to a Newcastle police station within five days of this hearing, he commented that he was in the process of moving to Spain.

In addition to the fine, he was also handed a football banning order which prohibits him from entering any premises for the purpose of attending any regulated football matches in the United Kingdom for the next three years.

Blake is also prevented from travelling abroad to watch international friendlies, qualification matches and tournaments, and had his Newcastle United season ticket revoked.

A Newcastle United spokesperson said: ‘Tragedy-related chanting and gesturing is completely unacceptable and Newcastle United is committed to working with authorities and the wider football community to eradicate it.’

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