Boro fan dozed not drunk at drubbing, court told

A Middlesbrough fan who had his season ticket confiscated at the first home game of the season for allegedly being drunk had simply fallen asleep towards the end of his team’s drubbing by Arsenal, a court heard today.

Dozing supporter Adrian Carr was taken from his seat in the North Stand of Middlesbrough’s Riverside Stadium by safety stewards after he was seen slumped in it midway through the second half of last August’s Sunday match.

By that time his beloved Boro were 3-0 down, with the match eventually finishing 4-0 to the visiting Gunners.

But before that fourth goal had gone in, the 28-year-old engineering worker had been handcuffed and was on his way to a police cell on suspicion of being drunk in a sporting arena.

Teesside Magistrates’ Court today heard that Carr had simply fallen asleep during the drab match on the hot afternoon.

The court today heard that within 10 or 15 minutes of allegedly being drunk and slumping unconscious in his seat he was walking unaided and talking to police and stewards.

Middlesbrough FC steward Alan Brown told magistrates he had tried to rouse Carr but could not and had to summon help to escort him downstairs to the main concourse.

Mr Brown told the court: “I shook him, spoke in his ear but could not get any reaction from him.

“His head was just flopping from side to side.

“We had to physically lift him from his seat, lift him bodily down the stairs. He was just mumbling and groaning and did not stir until police started to question him.”

Solicitor Simon Walker, representing Carr, asked Mr Brown: “Have you ever ejected anyone for being asleep?” to which the steward answered “No“.

Mr Walker added: “If someone is in a deep sleep and then suddenly roused it takes some time to re-orientate yourself and that might explain why he was disorientated for a short while.

“From a Middlesbrough supporter’s point of view it was not a particularly exciting or enthralling game and they were being defeated heavily at the time.”

Carr, of Caithness Road, Middlesbrough, has denied one charge of being drunk in a sporting arena.

Prosecutor Clare Donaldson told magistrates today: “It’s not alleged he was disorderly, violent or making racist comments, it’s simply an offence to be drunk in a sports ground.

“There’s a real reason behind this prosecution with the issue being crowd control, the potential of harm to himself or others in the ground had there been a problem inside the ground.”

The hearing, which is scheduled to last two days, continues.