Ban for football yob

A football yob said to be 'management' amongst Wolves hooligans has been banned from matches after writing about his exploits in a book.

Carl Abbotts, aged 36, swore at police and was caught up in violent scenes surrounding games. The married father-of-two, who has never been convicted of any crime relating to football or violence, has became the first Wolves hooligan in years to be hit with a civil banning order.

At Solihill Magistrates Court yesterday, police showed footage of Abbotts, which they said showed him either gesturing or throwing an object when his team played Birmingham City at Molineux on April 22.

Sgt Chris Austin, of the West Midlands Police football disorder reduction team, said the group was "disorderly and intimidating".

He added: "Missiles were thrown from the group which contained Mr Abbotts. His sheer presence adds to the situation the police have to deal with."

He highlighted notorious Wolves hooligan Gilroy Shaw on the footage.

Abbotts, of King Edward Street, Darlaston, is pictured in Shaw's book, Gilly: Running With A Pack of Wolves, in which he wrote of a violent clash with Liverpool thugs.

Sgt Austin told the court: "Much like Mr Shaw, (Abbotts) is intrinsic to the Wolverhampton hooligan group. By removing him, you remove a certain element of the organisation, the management of the group."

Abbotts was arrested after violence broke out involving Wolves fans in London's Leicester Square in 2004, but was never convicted.

In May this year he swore at a police officer and threatened him.

Abbotts, who contested the police's claims against him, produced a sick note excusing him from attending the hearing. Granting the three-year banning order district judge Nigel Cadbury said: "I'm satisfied that Carl Abbotts did cause or contribute to disorder."