Football hooligan begs not to be jailed as he would miss 'little dog who is like a son'

A football hooligan who breached his Football Banning Order for the third time when he went to a match at Blackpool pleaded not to be sent to prison because he would miss his little dog. Michael Lewis was put on the order after drunkenly invading the pitch during a match at Burnley Football Club's home ground where he assaulted two police officers.

Lewis, a jobless 47-year-old grandfather, of the Station Hotel, Earby, admitted failing to comply with a Football Banning Order. He was sentenced to eight weeks' imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, ordered to do 200 hours unpaid work for the community, put on a year's supervision and told to pay £85 costs by Blackpool magistrates.

Lewis told magistrates he had gone to the resort with his dog for a four-day break. He met a man who invited him to go to the match. He bought a small bottle of wine at the game, which he put in his back pocket, but a steward saw the bottle and called the police.

Lewis said: "I was not drunk, I was just a bit fresh. I thought my banning order was just for Burnley matches and international matches. "I would not like to go to prison today. Years ago, I would not have bothered, but I now have a little dog, who is like a son to me, and I would miss him."

Miss Leisa Splaine (defending) told magistrates: "He says he has supported Burnley from age three to four. They have been his team for life.

"He says he has tried to comply with the order. He did not go to Wembley last season for what he described as the biggest game of Burnley's history, where they got promotion. He says he thought the order only applied to Burnley and international matches."