Football hooligans jailed for attack before West Brom v Birmingham City game at The Hawthorns

Two Wolverhampton men left an innocent passer-by unconscious in a West Bromwich street - after heading into the town as part of a pre-arranged football fight.

Nathan Pearce and Steven Walters launched their attack in High Street after lying in wait in a side street just before a match between West Brom and Birmingham City at The Hawthorns.

The pair, who were already known to police as suspected Wolves football hooligans, waited there for eight minutes until spotting two men leaving the Great Lion pub, which had Baggies fans inside, at around 7pm on October 15, 2021. They chased off one of the men before punching and kicking their victim, knocking him to the ground.

Walters stamped on his head and Pearce hit him with a bottle, causing blunt force trauma to his head. As the man fell, he landed on broken glass which caused a stab and slash wound to his back. Both attackers then walked away leaving him unconscious on the ground. Thankfully the man has since been able to recover from his injuries.

Walters, aged 36, of Perry Avenue, Low Hill and Pearce, aged 28, of Woden Avenue, Wednesfield, pleaded guilty to wounding. They were both jailed for four years and given an eight-year football banning order at Wolverhampton Crown Court, last Friday (September 22).

Inspector Richard Cox of the West Midlands Police Force Football Unit, said: "There is no place in football, or society as a whole, for violence like this. During the court hearing Pearce and Walters stated they had gone to the town as part of a pre-organised football fight arranged with West Bromwich Albion risk supporters.

"They came out of the side street expecting a large number in the group and attacked the man, an innocent bystander, who was walking between pubs. These sentences should serve as a warning that we will not tolerate such violence and we will always work to identify those who sadly do still think it is acceptable and bring them before the courts."