Football ban-appeal rejected for Welsh Leeds United fan after Elland Road seating squabble
A Leeds United fan who became aggressive and swore at police at Elland Road after finding another fan in his seat has been told his ban will remain.
Mark Raspin had been drinking when he called officers “horrible b*******” and “c****” before being arrested at the game in December last year.
The 60-year-old, who has been ejected from a football ground before for being drunk and disorderly, appealed the automatic three-year football banning order which prevents him from attending matches.
He appeared at Leeds Crown Court via video link from his home in south Wales.
But Judge Neil Clark, who led a three-strong appeal panel, refused to reverse the decision after a short deliberation.
Judge Clark said: “It’s difficult to say it was unjust. We do not think it was unjust. The appeal, I’m afraid, is refused.”
It was heard that Raspin had travelled the 200 miles to Leeds for the match against Middlesbrough on December 10.
Prosecutor Lydia Carroll said Raspin had “drunk eight to nine pints” before the game, but acknowledged this was disputed.
Police had seen him “tussling” with another male in the stand, claiming the man was in his seat so the officers intervened.
Becoming aggressive, he said: “You are all c****.” He told them he had a brain injury and got in the officer’s face, Ms Carroll said.
Having been arrested, he kicked a metal door on the way out, continued to remonstrate and refused to leave.
He was taken to the nearby Elland Road Police station. It was later accepted that the other fan had been in the wrong seat.
Raspin was given the automatic three-year ban, while Leeds United also imposed a 12-month ban on him. He was also fined £80 at Leeds Magistrates’ Court in January after admitting it was a public order offence.
Ms Carroll said Raspin had also been ejected from the Cardiff City Stadium in March 2022 for problematic drunken behaviour during the Wales vs Czech Republic match.
Rapsin, of Heol Cwarrel Clark, Caerphilly, has five previous convictions for nine offences. This includes an ABH from 1983 and obstructing a police officer in 1996.
Mitigating during his appeal, Laura Miller said Rapsin knew his behaviour was “unacceptable”.
She said he had been watching football for 48 years so it was not a “pattern of behaviour”, despite the incident in Wales in 2022.
She said he has a brain injury caused by meningitis that he contracted in 2014 and was in a coma for nine days.
As a result, it left it difficult for him to follow instructions and that he was hoping to be registered as a disabled football supporter.
Ms Miller said: “He deeply regrets his actions and is sorry he did not walk away when he was told to.”