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Coin Thrower Pleads Guilty To Battery

John Billington, the 43 year old fan who threw the 50p coin at the Pompey game has pleaded guilty at Birmingham Magistrates' Court to a count of battery.

His sentance will be decided next month.

I'm surprised the press have released the guys address publicly.

This all came about when a coin was thrown - it is speculated in Harry Redknapps direction - hitting and cutting the head of referee's assistant Phil Sharp.

No doubt Billington will get a lifetime ban from all football grounds, be interesting what the sentance from the court is. I would guess it will be as severe as is possible to set an example to all fans that this isn't in any way, shape or form acceptable behaviour.




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Writer: J P Fear Mail feedback, articles or suggestions

Date:Thursday January 15 2009

Time: 12:11PM

Your Comments

i know what he did was unaccptable and shameful especially for children to see. But i do sympathise with him a little bit and hope he doesn't get a lifetime ban.
holte_ender8
Moron.
lerneravfc
I know lerrneravfc, fancy throwing money away whilst there is a recession on! Joking aside, agree, stupid stupid thing to do. Bet he can't understand himself what he was thinking now. NO place for that in football and certainly no place for it at Villa Park dragging our good name down.
The Fear
Completetly agree Fear - honestly I am the only Villa fan where I work - I am a teacher and this includes staff AND students and I honestly have never been prouder to support them than this season. On the pitch but particularly off the pitch! From the Acorns sponsor, bus for the Chelsea cup game, the restoration of the Holte I could go on and on but we all know the drill. This coin-throwing incident was however the only time we have really had the good name of Villa dragged down in recent memory. I hope they do ban him for life. I felt sick that we were in the press because of that. Good riddance to him.
deano.avfc
What a total plank this guy was not only did he drag the good name of Villa Park through the mud but he done it in front of Villas enemy number one this season Appy Arry, banter at VP is onething , physical abuse is another.
Mutt_Man
Shameful and embarrassing for us all. As deano quite rightly states, when you consider what both Sir Randolph and the club have done in the community and with Acorns………etc, this plonker has shat in our nest bit-time!
claretandbluestu
Hasn't he admitted that the consumption of alcohol played a part in his behaviour? No excuse of course, indeed a warning to us all. You have to wonder whether his actions were totally out of character, or whether he's been prone to this type of unacceptable behaviour before. Still, I guess thats all irrelevant now. Punish the guy with a hefty fine, make him do community work whatever, but ban him for life from VP? I dont know, is that really necessary?
glensider
I think that holte_ender8 and myself are very much in the minority with our compassionate views, and I'm certainly not playing down the guys actions. I certainly believe that he should have immediately come forward to admit his actions, maybe then the powers that be would have taken a more lenient view. Banning him for life just seems a little excessive in my book, but, if an example has to be set, then I guess the guy will be hit very, very hard. One moment of madness and his Villa supporting days are over.
glensider
If the coin had hit Mike Riley then I wouldn't have had a problem with it. Maybe a £1 coin would have been more appropriate, higher density and would hurt more.
Villan-in-Cyprus
To be fair Mr glensider, I don't think a football banning order really does much nowadays anyway. It's not like they check the identity of all 42,000 who walk through the turnstyles. Just can't see it being enforced.
Villan-in-Cyprus
 

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