A COUPLE appeared in court yesterday after a steward was abused at a football match.

William Elliott, 43, and his wife June, 41, pleaded guilty to being drunk at a designated sporting event and were each given a six-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £70 costs.

Teesside Magistrates' Court heard how the couple, of Wordsworth Close, Billingham, had been given tickets for Middlesbrough's home Premiership game against Aston Villa last month.

Mrs Elliott was said to have fallen asleep in her seat, at the Riverside Stadium, and her husband was asked by a steward to wake her up for security reasons.

Mr Elliott threatened the official and the couple were removed to the concourse where they were arrested for their conduct. Magistrates also banned Mr Elliott from any football ground for the next three years.

Meanwhile, an Aston Villa fan yesterday received a wide-ranging three-year ban for running on to the pitch when his side scored a late winning goal in the same game on April 24.

Andrew Michael Clynch, 28, of Castle Vale, Birmingham, pleaded guilty to pitch invasion.

He is banned from Birmingham city centre three hours before and three hours after any Villa game; from any town or city where Villa or England play on the day of the game and he must also surrender his passport before any overseas game involving the teams.