A football fan was banned from matches for trying to get a firework into a clash between Forest and Derby County.
Rams fan Thomas Bennett faced a judge in Nottingham who said the item could have caused serious problems in the City Ground.
Deputy District Judge Michelle Jeffreys told him: "Football grounds are places where there is joy but great risk.
"I appreciate the joy but have to look at the wider context, especially in a local derby where things can get heated. There may be a greater risk."
She imposed a three-year order on Bennett, 27, of Cowsley Road, Derby. This bars him from attending any major matches.
He admitted having a firework when entering a designated sports ground and also pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine. Bennett was fined £400 with £117 costs.
When the judge asked why he had the firework, Bennett replied: "I didn't know it was in my pocket.
"I am guilty, it was in my pocket. If I had wanted to take it in, I would not have had it hanging out of my pocket."
At Nottingham Magistrates' Court, he urged the judge not to impose the football banning order.
He told her: "It is for family reasons. My son's life is football. I don't know what else to say, really. I am sorry for what happened."
The judge questioned why he had a Class A drug. He told her: "For after the game, wasn't it?"
Groundworker Bennett told the court that his weekly take-home pay is £840. He was ordered to clear the legal bill at £50 weekly.
Rosanna McDaid, prosecuting, said that the orders are an important part of policing football matches.
She told the court: "Without the banning order, he could continue to present a risk at football.
"There is an element who will engage in violence and disorder. Banning orders are very much central to police strategy."
Orders can run from a minimum of three years but can be as long as five years.
The offence was on November 9. Forest won 1-0.
