A Manchester United fan convicted of battery on a City supporter was arrested five days later for tragedy chanting at a match against Liverpool.
Thug Harry Thorley appeared before magistrates in London on August 27 after he walked up to the City fan in a car park at the Community Shield curtain-raiser and punched him in the face.
He was ordered to pay £601 in fines and costs following the unprovoked Wembley attack, on a man who was with his family, and was due back in court for a football banning order hearing next month.
However, on September 1, 19-year-old Thorley, from Crewe, was spotted by special operations officers outside the away end at Old Trafford when United played their rivals from Merseyside.
Fresh from his date in court, Thorley saw fit to start shouting ‘murderers’ towards the visiting supporters on a number of occasions around 45 minutes before kick-off and was swiftly arrested. His shouts were deemed to be in reference to the Heysel Stadium disaster and he admitted to the offence while in custody.
One of the supporters was spotted outside the away end at Old Trafford when United played Liverpool earlier this month
Thorley pleaded guilty to using threatening, abusive, insulting words or behaviour and was banned from attending football matches for three years. He was also ordered to pay £343.
Meanwhile, another United supporter was given a community order after he posted offensive messages and videos relating to the Hillsborough Disaster on WhatsApp and was shopped by a Liverpool fan he knew from online gaming.
Tommy Jobling, of Whitby, North Yorkshire, was subsequently charged with malicious communications after screen grabs were sent to police.
The 22-year-old was also ordered to attend 20 rehabilitation days, carry out 80 hours of unpaid work and was told to pay a fine, costs and a victim surcharge totalling £319. Action against tragedy chanting has been stepped up across football in recent times.
PC Matthew Ford, Greater Manchester Police’s Football Banning Officer said: ‘Like previous seasons, now with the football schedule in full flow we want to make it clear to any supporters still intent on causing distress through any form of tragedy chanting, we will be taking robust action to highlight that we, along with the clubs and vast majority of fans, it will not be tolerated.
‘We would also like to remind people that they can continue to report offences direct to us in person, by speaking to officers deployed at games so we can act there and then.
'We will also continue to liaise with both clubs ahead of fixtures to ensure supporter groups are engaged in our proactive approach to identifying offences around tragedy chanting as we understand the concern, distress, and upset this causes whenever fans unfortunately experience it. It has no place in the game.’