THREE football hooligans who set upon rival fans in a Bradford pub in a scene likened to a “wild west” bar room brawl have been jailed.

A total of 11 men were charged after trouble flared before and after Bradford City’s home derby match against Sheffield United on October 22, 2016.

Prosecutor James Gelsthorpe told Bradford Crown Court that police ‘football spotters’ on duty in the city centre had noticed a group of men they recognised as having links to “risk groups of supporters” heading towards The Bradford Arms pub before the game.

A crowd had gathered in the beer garden of the Manningham Lane pub, described as being designated as catering for away supporters, and the court heard that officers saw a group of men threatening some Sheffield fans before “shouting and general disorder broke out.”

Mr Gelsthorpe said that Michael Hindle, 24, of Norwood Road, Shipley, Declan Brame, 22, of Norwood Avenue, Shipley, James Dunn, 28, of Falmouth Avenue, Wapping, Bradford, and Paul Sharp, 25, of Elderwood Gardens, Bradford, were part of the group of Bradford fans involved in the confrontation.

Hindle admitted a charge of affray in connection with the incident, with the others later pleading guilty to an offence of threatening behaviour.

The court heard that after the game, at around 8pm, two Sheffield fans had been drinking at the bar of The Ginger Goose pub in Market Street, Bradford, when they were surrounded by a group of around 15 men.

Mr Gelsthorpe said that one man said to the pair: “It’s time for you to get your train home, get the f**k out of our pub.”

After one Sheffield fan reacted by headbutting one of the group, violence was said to have “erupted”, leaving members of the public and staff at the pub “scared and frightened”.

Punches and kicks were thrown during the fight that followed, with bottles and chairs also hurled across the bar.

The pub’s manager, Jamie Hayes, said in a statement that it was “pure luck” that none of his employees were injured in the melee.

Hindle, along with Sean Abbott, 25, of Braine Croft, Bradford, Leo Murphy, 21, of Greenwood Avenue, Bradford, Joshua Stamper, 25, of Stephen Road, Buttershaw, Bradford, and James Taylor, 25, of Gracey Lane, Buttershaw, Bradford, all admitted an offence of affray in connection with the incident.

The latter four men could not be sentenced yesterday due to the lack of pre-sentence reports, and will be back before the court on March 23.

Three men - Joseph Brett, 26, of Howarth Avenue, Swain House, Bradford, Milorad Duric, 47, of Fewston Avenue, Clayton Heights, Bradford, and Jordan Brame, 20, of Parkside Terrace, Cullingworth - stood trial in relation with the matter in November last year.

Brett was found guilty of affray after the jury heard he deliberately threw a bottle after getting involved in the brawl.

Duric was convicted of the same charge after the court heard he had kicked a rival fan while he was lying on the floor.

Jordan Brame was cleared of affray but convicted of threatening behaviour after the jury was told he was “bouncing around on his toes like a boxer” before aiming a punch at a man moving away from him.

The court was told that since the incident, Hindle had engaged with voluntary organisations to address his anger management problems and issues with drink and drugs, with references provided in relation to his job and charity work.

Sharp was said to be "deeply ashamed" of his actions on the day of the offence, with the incident the only time he had been involved with police in attending around 300 games since the age of six.

The court heard that Dunn had received a "wake-up call" by spending more than three weeks in custody in Wormwood Scrubs prison after being caught breaching his bail conditions by trying to attend Bradford City's Play-Off Final game against Millwall at Wembley Stadium on May 20 last year.

Declan Brame, described as a "hard-working" father-of-four, said he was "very sorry" for the incident, with father-of-three Duric labelled as "on paper, the most unlikely football thug."

The court was told that after raising him arm during the fight, Jordan Brame tried to stop others attacking an injured Sheffield fan, before escorting him outside and waiting with him until emergency services arrived.

The actions of Brett, who was not with the group that surrounded the Sheffield fans but threw a bottle across the pub during the brawl, were described as a "moment of madness".

Judge Neil Davey QC said those involved in football hooliganism gave no thought to its effects on innocent members of the public.

Referring to the Ginger Goose incident, he said the Bradford City fans had regarded the pub as “their territory.”

After the headbutt acted as the “catalyst for trouble”, Judge Davey said the defendants involved had “seized the opportunity for the thrill of unlawful violence.”

He said: “It was like a brawl in a wild west saloon. It was disgraceful, terrifying, and potentially lethal.”

Hindle, Brett, and Duric were all sentenced to six months in prison.

Addressing Brett, Judge Davey said he had acted "appallingly" by "deliberately throwing a bottle into a crowd", before telling Duric his kicking of an opposition fan as he lay on the ground had to result in immediate custody.

While acknowledging Hindle for seeking to address his issues, Judge Davey told him: "You took the opportunity, completely needlessly, to throw several punches, hit out with a bottle, and throw a chair into a packed crowd."

Declan Brame and Jordan Brame were given three-month sentences, suspended for a year, with Dunn and Sharp given two-month terms suspended for the same period. All four men must do 100 hours of unpaid work.

Mr Gelsthorpe also told the court that the prosecution wished to apply for football banning orders in respect of all defendants bar Jordan Brame, but Judge Davey said the applications could not be heard at they had not been submitted to court in time to be considered yesterday.