Chelsea fan admits assaulting Newcastle goalkeeper after goal went in | UK News
A football fan has admitted assaulting Newcastle United goalkeeper Martin Dubravka after he conceded a late goal against Chelsea.
Jordan Chidley, 25, ran onto the pitch when the Blues scored an injury time equaliser at Stamford Bridge during the League Cup quarter final on December 19 last year.
He admitted assault by beating and unlawfully going onto a playing area at a football match when appearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court today.
The court heard how Chidley invaded the pitch when Mykhailo Mudryk scored a 92nd-minute goal to make it 1-1 and ran over to Dubravka.
‘The steward tries to grab him, he then puts his arms out and grabs and touches the goalie who pulls away from him,’ said prosecutor Malachy Pakenham.
Mr Pakenham said the contact was ‘quite minimal’ and the court heard that Dubravka did not issue any statement and ‘appears not to be too alarmed’.
Chidley was later arrested and admitted to police that he was the person on the pitch.
He said his behaviour was ‘due to overexuberant celebrations’ and the fact that Chelsea had scored in the final minutes of the match.
In Chidley’s defence, the court heard what he did was not ‘malicious’ but ‘it was just euphoria’.
It was said that Chidley is ‘not a football hooligan’ and this was a ‘one-off incident’.
The judge made reference to the ‘extremely positive’ character references given for Chidley.
But she told him: ‘When I’m sentencing you I’m thinking not only about the offence that was committed, but also … I want to send out a message to deter other people from doing something similar.’
Wearing a black suit, Chidley nodded in the dock as he listened to the judge.
Chidley was banned from attending football matches for three years and handed an £807 fine by district judge Neeta Minhas.
He was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £323 and costs of £85, bringing his total costs owed to £1,215.
Chelsea went on to win the game 4-2 on penalties and beat Middlesbrough 6-2 on aggregate in the semi-final.
They will face Liverpool in the final at Wembley on February 25.
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