Flare-wielding Stags fan banned from matches for three years

Robert Dennis Bailey, 31, of Talbot Street, Pinxton, was convicted on Wednesday (6 April 2016) of possession of a flare/firework after setting off a flare during the fixture between Mansfield Town and Portsmouth on 19 March, 2016.

Bailey set off the flare from within the Ian Greaves stand – a home section at Mansfield Town’s One Call Stadium.

Ch Insp Neil Williams was the match commander on the day of the game.

He said: “The use of pyrotechnics at football grounds endangers people’s safety. There is no place for such items within a football ground and we will look to take positive action against anyone who sets off a flare or seeks to get such an item into a ground.

“Items such as flares can cause injury to the person who sets them off and those around them and, obviously, pose a fire risk which can compromise the safety of everyone inside the ground.

“The behaviour of the majority of fans at Mansfield Town games is impeccable. This supporter will have three years to think about the mistake he made and hope it will serve as a warning to supporters about the consequences of taking pyrotechnics into football grounds.”