Overview
- Hampshire Police said on Nov. 12 that two Portsmouth supporters were barred from all football matches for three years and fined £700 each.
- Southampton Magistrates' Court convicted the men of fraud by false representation and unauthorised entry to the stadium.
- The incident occurred in mid-September at St Mary's Stadium during a sold-out second-tier derby between Southampton and Portsmouth.
- The pair posed as stewards using high-visibility vests and radios and reached a restricted area near the pitch before they were ejected.
- Deputy Chief Constable Tony Rowlinson condemned the scheme as an absurd attempt to bypass ticketing and framed the sanctions as a deterrent.