City boss Geoffrey Richmond came to the rescue of a fan accused of battling with a Manchester United supporter - and saved him from a criminal record.

The Bradford City chairman put his own reputation on the line to plead supporter Ian Carr's innocence - and magistrates agreed he had no charge to answer.

Instead, the 44-year-old agreed to be bound over to keep the peace after a letter from Mr Richmond was read to the court saying it would be a travesty of justice if the dad-of-two was convicted of using threatening behaviour.

Mr Carr had been arrested after a United fan from the North West corner stand invaded the Kop and taunted home supporters.

Mr Carr, of Bolton, Bradford, alleged he was protecting his family when he told the fan to return to his seat before pushing him away. He was then arrested, held in police cells, fingerprinted and had his DNA taken.

The City chairman - who said he would have attended court on Mr Carr's behalf if he had not been in London on business - told magistrates via his letter: "During the whole of the seven years I have been here, I have known Mr Ian Carr and indeed many members of his family, as dedicated and loyal supporters of this club.

"I am absolutely satisfied that he was the victim rather than the aggressor in the incident which took place. If I, or indeed any other man, felt his family was being threatened, the first reaction would be to protect them."

Mr Richmond implied the sporadic trouble that occurred during the City v Manchester United game on Saturday was largely the club's fault.

He said: "I have to say that Bradford City Football Club did not cover itself in glory with the stewarding arrangements."

He told the court only a 3ft-high metal railing separated 2,200 United fans from their City counterparts.

"In my view, and certainly with the benefit of hindsight, the first five or seven seats should have been left vacant and a steward seated at the end of each row," his letter said.

After the case, a relieved Mr Carr, a former John Street Market stallholder, of Derwent Road, was toasting his chairman - he had feared a three year ban from the ground.

"He is worth his weight in gold," he said. "I met Geoffrey Richmond at his first game in charge of the club in 1994 away at York City. After the game I was in a chip shop and the chairman's Rolls-Royce pulled up and he came in. We had banter with him, and it's gone on from there."

Mr Richmond said he was very pleased the charges against Mr Carr were dropped.

"I am absolutely delighted - he was the victim, not the aggressor and I'm pleased justice has prevailed," he said.

Mr Carr's cousin Mary Flaherty was in the family group on Saturday, attending her first-ever football game on Saturday.

"We had had a brilliant day and we were all in good spirits, until this happened," she said. "I got hit with a £1 coin on the side of my face and children sitting near by us were screaming. It was frightening. It was awful when they led Ian away - he'd done nothing wrong, he hasn't got an evil bone in his body. He was just protecting us."

Several others arrested before, during and after Bradford's match with Manchester United last weekend have appeared before the city's magistrates. Scott Varley, 33, of Peterborough Place, Undercliffe, Bradford, was fined £200 with £40 costs after pleading guilty to disorderly conduct. He was also banned from attending all football matches for three years.

A similar ban was imposed on Richard Salter, 26, from Clifton Moor, York, after he admitted disorderly conduct. He was also fined £200 with £40 costs.

An allegation of using threatening behaviour was withdrawn against Teal Darren Brooks, 28, of Hainworth Village, Keighley, who agreed to be bound over in £100 for a year.

A disorderly conduct charge was withdrawn against Julie Rushbrooke, 43, from Sutton-in-Ashfield, Notts, after she agreed to be bound over in £50 for six months.

Scott Shaw, 25, from Warrington, had an allegation of being drunk while entering a sports ground withdrawn after he agreed to be bound over in £50 for six months.