Ban for Liverpool FC fan who spat at Phil Neville

Jul 3 2008 by Ben Rossington

A LIVERPOOL FC fan has been banned from football for three years after spitting on Everton captain Phil Neville.

Ian Golder, 39, of Haselbeech Crescent, Norris Green, spat on the Blues skipper as he went to take a throw-in at Anfield during March’s bad-tempered derby match.

Now he has been hit with a football banning order that prevents him from going to any match in England and Wales for the next three years.

Liverpool bosses are yet to decide if he will be banned from the Reds’ ground for life.

The council care worker got up from his seat in the front row of the Centenary Stand as Neville approached to take the throw and hurled abuse at the defender.

In footage captured by the Sky Sports cameras and shown to the North Liverpool Community Justice Centre yesterday, Golder was seen inches away from Neville as the former England full-back wiped the wet ball with his shirt sleeves.

Before Neville ran to the touchline to throw the ball back into play, Golder spat on him three times – at the top, middle and bottom of his back.

The footage shown to the court then showed him sitting back in his seat, smirking and laughing with a man sat next to him.

Julian Peers, prosecuting, said Neville did not feel the spit land on him but the TV footage was conclusive.

Golder claimed he had been fiddling with a bridge tooth in his mouth that had become loose as he became “overexcited”. He denied spitting.

But Judge David Fletcher rejected his story, telling the defendant that from the TV pictures he was “basically baying for blood”.

Judge Fletcher said: “Having looked at the footage, I have no doubt whatsoever that you spat at him.

“It was quite clearly a disgraceful act. You went over and beyond, you were basically baying for blood.”

After being convicted of common assault, Golder was fined £250 and ordered to pay £200 costs.

He is the second Red to be dealt with by the courts for assaulting Neville at the March 30 game.

In April, season ticket holder Michael Anthony Blackmore, 48, of Dundale Road, Old Swan, admitting punching the former Manchester United player in the back as he went to take another throw-in.

He was also banned from football and fined £500.