TWO of five men accused of taking part in football violence after a Swindon Town home clash with Bristol City late last year will stand trial in January.
Andrew Bailey and Michael Brennan stood accused of charges of affray when they appeared in the dock at Swindon Crown Court with three others in May of this year.
Bailey, 48, and Brennan, 51, pleaded not guilty to the charges and will now stand trial next year before their co-accused can be sentenced.
Three other Town fans admitted taking part in the violence which occurred in the town centre on the day of the 3-2 win over City on Saturday, September 21 2013.
Joseph Fields, 21, and 18-year-olds Daniel Gibson and Eric King have all pleaded guilty to a charge of affray.
King admitted the charge when his case was before the justices, and the other two admitted theirs when they appeared at Swindon Crown Court.
Judge Tim Mousley QC adjourned the case so pre-sentence reports could be carried out on the three men, who will be sentenced together.
At the time he decided not to impose interim banning orders on them, pointing out it was the end of the season.
Fields, of Baileys Way, Wroughton, Gibson, of Mulcaster Avenue, Grange Park, and King, of Ferndale Road, were released on conditional bail before they could return to court for sentencing.
They were told they must not go to a certain area four hours before or after kick-off for home matches and to stay out of The Savoy pub.
The judge said they would be sentenced when the cases against the two other football fans had been resolved.
Bailey, of Barrington Road, Watchfield, and Brennan, of Wantage, Oxfordshire, were bailed on the same conditions.
They are now not permitted to enter The Savoy pub in Regent Street or to follow Swindon Town at any of their home or away games until their cases have been resolved.
Police had stepped up their presence prior to the game and admitted it was a bit of an uknown quantity due to the length of time between the rivals having played each other.
It was the first time that the two rival teams had met at Swindon’s County Ground in almost eight years.
Bailey said outside of the court: “It looks like we’re going to have to find another pub.”
The pair will return to court on January 13 trial when their trial will commence.
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