THE man who helped spark violent scenes during Middlesbrough's first competitive game on foreign soil has been banned from football grounds for three years.

Nigel Craig McMaster, 36, of Harrier Close, Thornaby, near Stockton, acted as the catalyst for the disturbance when he threw a pint of lager in the face of a Banik Ostrava fan during the game.

In the ugly scenes that followed, McMaster was spotted in the middle of the confrontation, which was captured on camera by Cleveland Police officers who were operating in the ground.

David George Plant, 40, of The Green, Dormanstown, Middlesbrough, was also banned for three years after he was caught on film taking centre stage during the fighting that marred the cup tie in September.

A section of Middlesbrough supporters, who had managed to get tickets for the game on the black market, were targeted by the Czech fans, who ran the length of the pitch to confront them, according to the police.

The head of Cleveland Police's football banning unit, Detective Sergeant Ian Fawcett, said he was amazed no one was seriously injured during the fighting as Ostrava fans have a reputation for being armed.

He said: "The Banik Ostrava fans came prepared for this, they had gum shields and some had belts wrapped round their hands.

"We were amazed there was no serious injuries or fatalities as the Ostrava fans usually carry knives. The conduct of both sets of supporters was such that they could have suffered serious injury."

Julia Hatton, who was prosecuting the cases at Teesside Magistrates' Court, said McMaster was the 'catalyst' for the trouble. She said: "If he hadn't thrown the beer nothing might have happened."

In mitigation for Plant, solicitor Marie Mallon told the court he had taken his family to the European Championships in the summer and the trip had been trouble free. He had also bought two tickets for the Villarreal game in Spain tomorrow to celebrate his daughter's birthday, she said.

Speaking after the hearing, Der Sgt Fawcett said: "The state some of the football fans got themselves into before the game was a disgrace, but once inside the ground they were drinking non-alcoholic lager.