Two United fans charged onto the pitch at Old Trafford when Cristiano Ronaldo scored the winning goal after becoming ‘overcome with emotion’.
Hamed Hamidi, 25, and Jalil Palani, 28, had both travelled from Middlesbrough to watch the Reds take on Villareal in September last year. In the 95th minute, Ronaldo put United up 2-1.
Hamidi and Palani charged onto the pitch towards the footballer to ‘celebrate with him and the rest of the team’, Manchester Magistrates Court heard. Both pleaded guilty to going onto a playing area at a football match, and were both handed conditional discharges.
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“This was during the football match between Manchester United and Villareal at the Old Trafford football ground. it was a Champions League fixture, 72,918 people were watching and 112 of those were for Villareal,” Laura Atherton, prosecuting, said.
“It was broadcast on TV. Every 15 metres around the edge of the playing area are signs which indicate that any unauthorised entry onto the playing area will be arrested.
“Moments before the final whistle blew, Cristiano Ronald scored the winning goal at 95 minutes. Hamidi and Palani both ran towards him to celebrate,” Ms Atherton said.
They were approached by the stewards, taken off the field and arrested. Speaking with police, they admitted knowing each other and travelling over from Middlesbrough and both confirmed that they ‘idolised’ Ronaldo.
Both men were said to have no previous convictions.
“I would suggest there is a genuine level of embarrassment and remorse,” their solicitor, Stephen Connor, said.
“It was an emotional moment. They ran onto the pitch to simply celebrate with Ronaldo - they were swiftly removed.
“There is nothing to suggest they were planning on offering any violence, the other supporters were at the other end of the grounds, he scored at the Stretford end. I suggest it was not even noticed by their fans from their side.”
He added that it was not a ‘high risk’ game like it would be with Leeds United or Liverpool, and suggested this would be the first and last time they would be seen before the courts.
Mr Connor suggested that the Magistrates should not grant a football banning order as they had no previous for violence disorder. He said it was an emotional moment that ‘got the better of them’.
He added that they both moved over from Iran nearly eight years ago, and both worked in part time jobs.
Manchester JPs handed them both a conditional discharge to run for 18 months, and both were ordered to pay £85 court costs and £22 victim surcharge each.
Hamidi, of Saltwells Road, and Palani, of Marton Road, were not made the subject of football banning orders as the Magistrates could not find reasonable grounds to grant the order, but said that Old Trafford could ban them from entering the grounds in the future.
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