By Jim Hislop

FIVE MEN who formed part of a “reunited” group of former Dundee FC casuals to do battle with visiting Millwall FC casuals were banned from attending any senior football match in the UK and abroad for the next two years by Sheriff Richard Davidson at Dundee yesterday.

Two of the men were also given custodial sentences because of their previous convictions for violence.

Paul Michael Barr (20), of Pitfour Street; Barry Andrew Greig (26), of Brougham Gardens; Paul Richard Hunter (33), of Finmore Street; Alan David Mearns (34), of South George Street, and Paul Douglas Larnyoh (37), of Kirkbank, Auchmithie, had previously admitted that on July 14 in various streets including Arklay Street, Dens Road, Victoria Road and Castle Street, they committed a breach of the peace by forming part of a disorderly crowd of about 60 people, shouted, swore and gesticulated, challenged Millwall supporters to fight, repeatedly incited others to fight the Millwall supporters, refused to disperse when instructed by police officers and placed the officers in a state of concern for the safety of the public and themselves.

The court had previously heard that about 150 Millwall supporters had come to Dundee for a pre-season friendly and police intelligence had given no indication that there was any major action planned by casuals.

After the match about 60 Millwall fans were being escorted by about seven police officers to the railway station, and at Arklay Street a similar sized group of Dundee casuals rushed towards them shouting and swearing.

The five accused were prominent members of the Dundee group.

The police officers drew their batons and were able to keep the two factions apart. But the Dundee gang took another route to intercept the Millwall contingent and at Dens Road and Victoria Road the police found themselves trapped between two groups of well over 100 casuals.

The accused and others began shouting and challenging the others to fight. Fortunately the handful of police officers managed to keep the two groups at bay until reinforcements arrived and the five were arrested.

Yesterday solicitor Amy Fox for Barr said her client had committed the offence while on licence from a custodial sentence for an offence which also involved violence. He had simply intended to go to the match but got caught up in the behaviour of others.

Solicitor George Donnelly for Greig said his client had not offended since April 2005 and his convictions were for minor matters.

Mr Donnelly said Greig had been drinking for most of the day in various pubs and had become associated with a group of former Dundee casuals who had decided to get together on a one-off basis for the Millwall game, Millwall fans not being shrinking violets, he said.

Greig was the product of a broken home and had descended into drug abuse. However, to try to keep busy and out of trouble he did voluntary charity work.

Solicitor Scott Norrie, for Larnyoh, said that he and his client had to admit that the background reports on him did not make particularly great reading. He was also in breach of a community service order recently imposed by a court in Angus and accepted that the options available to the bench were very limited indeed.

Solicitor Jim Caird, for Hunter, said his client was disgusted by his behaviour and realised how stupid he had been. Alcohol had been involved and his client knew full well that alcohol was something he should not take.

Solicitor David Duncan, for Mearns, said that there were no background reports available for his client due to a backlog over the festive period at the social work department. Sentence on Mearns was further deferred until January 23 for the reports to be prepared.

Sheriff Davidson said that the first thing he would say was that it was his intention to impose Football Banning Orders on all of them.

He said that these orders had been introduced by government because of the increasing levels of football related violence.

“I have to say, however, that apart from incidents like these there is little football violence in this city and for that I am grateful.

“But where people do get involved, they will be given severe penalties including these banning orders.”

He told Barr that his difficulty was not only his record but the fact that there was an unexpired portion of a sentence for offences of violence.

The penalty therefore for him had to be severe. He ordered Barr to serve four months of the unexpired sentence followed by one month’s detention for the offence that was before him.

He placed Greig on a Restriction of Liberty Order for six months with a 7pm-7am curfew.

He also placed Hunter on a Restriction of Liberty Order but added that as he had been on bail at the time of the offence, the order would run for eight months, but due to his work commitments the curfew would run between 9pm-6am.

He told Larnyoh that the background reports on him did not hold out much hope for a non-custodial disposal.

He said that having regard to Larnyoh’s formidable previous record he would be sent to prison for three months.