Football fan guilty of inflatable shark assault

A football fan has been found guilty of assaulting a steward with an inflatable shark.

A UK football fan has been found guilty of assaulting a steward with an inflatable shark.

Kenneth Meech, 51, was watching his team Grimsby Town play at Barnet in February at a Conference game - English football's fifth tier.

A Magistrates Court heard that Meech had assaulted a Barnet steward while celebrating Grimsby's 3-1 win.

Meech, who was among 1,000 travelling away fans, denied the charge but he did admit in February that Grimsby fans took inflatable objects to the game in support of another fan Bryan Winship.

Winship had been ejected from Grimsby's previous away game at Forest Green after a row with stewards over a giant inflatable football.

"A lot of lads were saying 'come on, let's get together and support Bryan' by taking as many inflatables as possible to Barnet and that's what we did, because we've got a good sense of humour, us Grimsby fans," said Meech.

"We were jumping about amongst each other, as you do, you know, celebrating, as you do, and before I knew it - I was shocked really - I was grabbed out by the police and taken away."