A football fan has been banned from being near any future matches for the next three years.

Sam Ross, of Smith Street in Mansfield, has been sentenced for assault by beating.

At Swindon Magistrates Court last week, the 36-year-old changed his plea from not guilty to guilty in relation to a charge of hitting a woman in Swindon on November 25, 2023.

For this offence, he has been slapped with a football banning order that lasts for three years and prevents him from attending any town or city four hours before Mansfield Town FC play there and two hours after the end.

He is also barred from visiting Mansfield town centre when the team are playing at the One Call Centre for a similar duration of time.

He must report to Mansfield Police Station in Nottingham within five days of the order being made and notify authorities if he changes his name.

The defendant must pay £250 in court costs plus £53 to fund victim services.

On the day of the attack, Swindon Town won 2-1 against Mansfield Town FC at the County Ground.

He also pleaded not guilty to one charge of being drunk while trying to enter a sports ground in Swindon during a sporting event on November 25, 2023, though that charge was dismissed because no evidence was offered.