A TEENAGER who ran onto the pitch during a Wear-Tyne derby and shoved Newcastle United goalkeeper Steve Harper to the ground has been banned from attending games for three years.

Sunderland season ticket holder Ross Miller, 17, breached pitch security after Asamoah Gyan’s 94th minute equaliser for the Black Cats on January 16 and ran into the Newcastle penalty area and pushed Harper from behind.

His father, Gary, from Spennymoor, County Durham, who was at the match, later drove his son to Newcastle United’s training ground for Ross to apologise to Harper, but they turned up only to find the first team players were not there. The teenager, who earned the wrath of Sunderland boss Steve Bruce, also wrote a letter of apology to both clubs.

The sixth-former, of Tangmere, Spennymoor, received the three-year ban from attending Sunderland and England matches when he was sentenced at Sunderland Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.

He was also given a youth referral order.

Miller admitted common assault, a public order offence and going onto the playing area.

The court heard the incident arose after Miller’s father was among several Sunderland supporters involved in a verbal disagreement with former Newcastle defender Wes Saunders, a Black Cats’ fan, minutes before the equaliser was scored.

Andrew Clinton, in mitigation, said Miller’s father was extremely ashamed at what had taken place, and added: “He said something to Wes Saunders, who is a Sunderland fan, and then an incident took place between these two.

“Ross did not realise what was going on and he became very agitated and foolishly got involved.

“His father blames himself for Ross running onto the pitch.

“Sunderland scored and Ross really lost his senses at that time and ran onto the pitch.

“He turned around and the next minute his arms went up in the air and knocked the keeper, and the keeper went down.”

Mr Clinton said that in the publicity following the match, Miller received thousands of abusive Facebook messages and even death threats from Newcastle fans.

Superintendent Andy McDyer, of Northumbria Police, said yesterday: “Fans who get involved in disorder before, during or after games spoil it for the real supporters and we will not tolerate this sort of behaviour.