A gang of football fans were jailed yesterday for violent disorder after fighting with supporters from an opposing team.

Middlesbrough fans Christopher Arthur, 22, Justin McLeary, 29, Glen Gilbert, 34, Lee Franklin, 24, Karl Rogers, 32, James Doyle, 24, Richard Nunn, 29, and Phillip Payne, 24, had travelled to watch an away match between their team and Portsmouth on May 15.

Portsmouth Crown Court heard the group left the match at half-time when their team was losing.

The men had been drinking all day and continued with a pub crawl in Southsea, Hampshire.

Trouble started when the men, who are all from Stockton, began singing abusive songs about Portsmouth FC.

Ian Harris, prosecuting, said a Portsmouth fan allegedly threw a glass at the group and a fight broke out.

The men were then followed to Sam's Bar where a second fight broke out between the two groups of fans. Trouble spilled out on to a main road and the court was shown security camera footage of men kicking and punching each other.

David Lancaster, defending, said: "If it hadn't been for the Portsmouth fans pursuing the Middlesbrough fans on two or three occasions, these young men would not be here today."

Judge Gareth Cowling sentenced Arthur, McLeary, Doyle, Payne, Rogers and Nunn to six months in jail for their part in the disorder. Franklin was jailed for four months.

The judge imposed a community punishment order of 150 hours on Gilbert.

A six-year football banning order was imposed on all the gang except Gilbert, who received a three-year banning order.

All eight had pleaded guilty to violent disorder at Portsmouth Magistrates' Court, in July.