A group of football hooligans have been handed hefty community sentences and fines, after pleading guilty to threatening behaviour at Carrow Road during a Canaries' home match.

A group of football hooligans have been handed hefty community sentences and fines, after pleading guilty to threatening behaviour at Carrow Road during a Canaries' home match.

Five Charlton Athletic fans pleaded guilty to threatening behaviour and one fan to throwing an object towards Norwich supporters, when they appeared at Norwich Magistrates' Court yesterday.

Three of the fans were ordered to carry out unpaid work and three were fined, whilst all were given football banning orders not to attend any matches in England and Wales for several years.

The court was shown CCTV footage of the trouble that flared towards the end of the Norwich versus Charlton match in League One on Saturday, September 19.

Prosecuting, Denis King said violence erupted when Norwich equalised to make it to 2-2 in the last minute of the match.

He said: “Charlton fans climbed over seating and surged towards the segregation netting placed between the rival fans in the Jarrold stand.

“The trouble was only stopped when sufficient stewards and police rushed forward to prevent the Charlton fans breaching the netting.”

Mr King said the trouble appeared to have been triggered by a Norwich City fan who was gesticulating and waving his arms towards the Charlton fans. Mr King said this fan had also been identified.

He added: “All these defendants were identified by football intelligence officers and a football spotting officer from the Metropolitan police.

“At risk supporters had earlier been identified drinking in the Compleat Angler pub in Prince of Wales Road before the match, but there was no trouble before the end of the match.

“The Norwich fans in the Jarrold stand are mainly families, women and children and they were fearful for their safety. They were only protected by more stewards and police rushing to stop the Charlton fans breaching the netting.”

The court heard that Andy McConville, 41, of Dressington Avenue, London, had a previous conviction for violent disorder in 2004 and had been given a six-year football banning order, which had been lifted.

Elliot Tapping, 42, of Park Cliff Road, Greenhithe, Kent, had one conviction from 2004 for violent disorder and was jailed for two years. He had also had a football banning order lifted.

None of the defendants was represented.

Paul Burrough, 41, of Bramshot Avenue, London, said he deeply regretted his actions and called it “a mad 30 seconds”. McConville apologised and said it was a stupid thing to do.

Tapping said he was “ashamed” and apologised to the people of Norwich, whilst Bordley, 39, of Bexley Road, Erith, Kent, said it would never happen again.

Cato, 44, of Erith Road, Belvedere, Kent, apologised to the court, and Norcott, 22, of New Road, London, said it happened in the spur of the moment.

The court heard that McConville had been given a five-year football banning order last month for a football-related public order offence.

Burrough, Cato and Norcott were given three-year football banning orders, whilst Bordley and Tapping were given five year bans.

All six were ordered to pay �85 costs.

Burrough, who is unemployed, was fined �150 plus a �15 victim surcharge, Norcott was fined �250 and �15, and Cato was fined �300 and �15.

Tapping and Bordley were handed 200 hours unpaid work, and McConville was given 280 hours.

Chairman of the bench John Farrow told Tapping, Bordley and McConville that they had considered jailing them.