FIVE Southend United fans accused of taking part in an attack on a rival supporter have previous convictions for football-related trouble and three have received bans as a result.

The convictions were revealed to the jury at Basildon Crown Court, where 12 men are standing trial over an assault on Cambridge United fan Simon Dobbin in 2015.

Jamie Chambers, a boxer who has spoken to the Echo about his sporting fights, has 11 convictions.

Emily Dummett, prosecuting, read the list of convictions because they are facts agreed between the defence and prosecution teams. She began by detailing Greg Allen’s criminal history, including one for using threatening behaviour at Roots Hall in 2007.

She said: “Allen was part of a group of football supporters chanting aggressively. He refused police requests to move and threw beer over police.”

Allen, nicknamed “Monster”, was also convicted of using threatening words or behaviour during a home game against Leyton Orient in June 2013.

She said: “Allen was seen to walk from the Railway Tavern along East Street around the same time Leyton Orient supporters had got off the train at Prittlewell station.

“Both groups were seen to be aggressive towards one another. He was seen to make gestures and run towards them with his arms wide. Inside the stadium he climbed on a wall and made a cut throat gesture towards Leyton Orient supporters.

“After the match, the majority of Southend supporters ran onto the pitch in celebration. Allen ran towards the Leyton Orient supporters and performed more gestures, shouting ‘come on then’ and goading the supporters to come onto the pitch.”

As a result of this, a football banning order was imposed on Allen, which he broke in October 2015 by attending the Railway Tavern on a match day.

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Greg Allen

Jamie Chambers was first convicted of using threatening words of behaviour in August 2010, after fighting with members of the public.

He received a four-year football banning order after threatening a steward with a brick when he was refused entry to Roots Hall in 2011.

Chambers received two further convictions for using threatening behaviour in 2011 and again in 2013, alongside Matthew Petchey.

He broke the banning order in January 2014 by going to a banned area and in October that year was again convicted of using threatening behaviour, after threatening to kill a police officer.

He broke the banning order again by attending the Railway Tavern in April 2015 and in July he was convicted of telling a police officer “I will cut you up” when he was thrown out of a nightclub.

Chambers was convicted of burglary after breaking into his ex-partner’s house and smashing a TV. He sent her threatening text messages which said “I will cut you up” and “I can get in anytime, especially when you are asleep”. Following the incident he phoned 999 to say: “I’m ringing to give you a warning. Next time I’m coming down and shooting her.”

The court heard Lewis Courtnell was convicted of affray after an incident in a Southend nightclub in 2014.

He was banned from certain Southend pubs as a result but broke the order by visiting the Railway Tavern.

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Jamie Chambers

Philip McGill was convicted of using threatening words or behaviour after a Southend United away game in Derby in 2006 and handed a football banning order.

Miss Dummett said: “He was seen drinking outside a pub. He was seen to deliberately barge a man and then become verbally abusive and then to attempt to start a fight with the man.”

McGill broke the order in November 2009 by attending a Southend pub on a match day. He broke it again in March 2014 when he was found near Roots Hall.

Scott Nicholls was convicted of affray in 2003 after assaulting a taxi driver. He was handed a two-year football banning order in 2009 for threatening away fans during a game at Roots Hall.

Miss Dummett said he was seen to shout at away fans: “Come over here and we will have it.”

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Scott Nicholls

Matthew Petchey has convictions for using threatening words or behaviour on a train, with Jamie Chambers, in January, 2013.

He was convicted of assault by beating after an incident in a pub in London on the same day.

Petchey was also involved in the incident with Courtnell in a Southend nightclub, during which he punched man in the head and face.

During a Southend United away fixture in Colchester he was part of a group of 27 fans who caused a disturbance near a pub designated for home fans.

Miss Dummett said the Southend group had their faces covered and were “gesticulating to people and were aggressive”.

Petchey later sent a text to a friend that said: “I’m proud of you.”

None of the men had attended the game at Roots Hall on the day of the assault on Mr Dobbin.

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Matthew Petchey

Twelve men deny violent disorder and conspiracy to commit violent disorder. They are: Ryan Carter, 21, of York Road, Southend; Jamie Chambers, 24, of Coleman Street, Southend; Lewis Courtnell, 33, of Stadium Road, Southend; Philip McGill, 32, of Hornby Avenue, Westcliff; Scott Nicholls, 40, of Little Spenders, Basildon; Michael Shawyer, 31, of Belgrave Road, Leigh; Greg Allen, 29, of Western Avenue, Westcliff; Thomas Randall, 22, of Seaforth Avenue, Southend; Alexander Woods, 25, of Fairmead Avenue, Westcliff; James Woods, 25, of Fairmead Avenue, Westcliff; Matthew Petchey, 26, of Lascelles Gardens, Rochford and Ian Young, 41, of Brightwell Avenue, Westcliff.

Rhys Pullen, 21, of Bridge Road, Wickford, admits violent disorder and will play no further part in the trial. Young is also charged with assisting an offender.

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Men told police they thought attack on fan was ‘disgusting’ SOUTHEND United fans accused of taking part in violence that left a rival supporter with a serious brain injury told police the attack was “disgusting”, a court heard.

Cambridge United supporter Simon Dobbin was among a group of fans who were assaulted in East Street, Southend, at 7.15pm on March 21, 2015.

Mr Dobbin, 42, had attended the game at Roots Hall and stopped off for a drink in the Blue Boar afterwards. He was part of a group that was set upon outside the Railway Tavern as they made their way to the train station.

Basildon Crown Court heard how Scott Nicholls, 40, of Little Spenders, Basildon, was arrested on June 11, 2015, and told detectives he was not involved in the violence.

Andrew Jackson, prosecuting, read the statement, in which Nicholls said he was a “fairly passionate” Southend supporter and has a SUFC tattoo on his inside left arm.

He said he spent the day sat at the bar in the Railway Tavern and referred to an incident where a Cambridge fan punched the pub window, which happened after Mr Dobbin was attacked. Nicholls said: “The only time I ever knew of a problem was when the window went through.”

Referring to what happened to Mr Dobbin, he said: “That’s disgusting. To go to a football match and be like that. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.”

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Simon Dobbin

Police interviews with Thomas Randall, 22, of Seaforth Avenue, Southend, were also read to the court. Randall said he had gone to Roots Hall to buy tickets earlier in the day, before going to the Railway. He said: “I was at the bar ordering a drink and everyone sort of ran out, myself included.”

Randall denied being involved in the violence but admitted throwing a glass on the floor “for impact” and that the incident “spiralled out of control”.

He told police he is friends with Southend supporters who are involved in football related violence. “It probably don’t look too great on myself, but they are my mates at the same time,” he said.

He said he was “disgusted” by what happened to Mr Dobbin, and said: “I wasn’t involved in it, I was just there.”

Mr Jackson then referred to a police interview given by Alexander Woods, 25, of Fairmead Avenue, Westcliff. He told police he was a Southend United supporter but rarely went to games.

He said: “I don’t remember much of what happened at the pub. I think I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

He said injuries to his hand were the result of him punching a wall and Mr Dobbin’s blood had got onto his jacket by “transfer from a third party”.

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Alexander Woods

The court also heard a statement from Ian Young, 41, a former season ticket holder at Roots Hall, who was living in an upstairs room at the pub Young described what happened to Mr Dobbin as “out of order”. He denied allowing co-defendant Lewis Courtnell to hide in his room.

Asked why he sent a text to Courtnell saying “sit tight mate” and later tried to call him, he said he did not know.

The trial continues.