A FOOTBALL fan who goaded rival supporters with obscene gestures at a vital cup match has been banned from attending games for five years.

At the home leg of Southend United’s Johnston’s Paint Trophy southern final in February, Greg Russell Allen, was seen climbing on a wall which separated the two sets of supporters and making provocative gestures at them.

Allen, of Wellington Avenue, Westcliff, was also said to have taunted Orient fans on the way to Roots Hall, at the junction of East Street and Victoria Avenue, about attacks on two pubs in east London two weeks earlier during the first leg of the tie.

After Southend secured their place at Wembley, hundreds of Southend fans staged a pitch invasion to celebrate.

Allen was one of a handful who ran towards the away fans instead of the players.

Four police officers told Southend Magistrates Court yesterday Allen made obscene and goading gestures at the Orient supporters, who were separated by a line of police.

He had been on a police watch list of potential troublemakers known as “risk supporters” for seven years and was one of several watched before, during and after the match. Det Con Andy Smith said that on the way to the game “Mr Allen was at the junction of Victoria Avenue and East Street, Prittlewell.

He was jumping up and down and gave aggressive gestures to a group of risk supporters from Leyton Orient. I remember he was shouting ‘come on’”.

During the game, four police officers told the court he had climbed on a wall separating the fans and gestured at rival supporters.

Suzanne Stringer, cross examining the defendant, asked him about his actions after the final whistle.

She said: “Why run towards the Leyton Orient fans, why not celebrate with the players?”

Allen replied: “I was going towards my friends, they’re more important than the players.”

Magistrates found Allen guilty of one count of using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour, with intent to cause fear of, or provoke, unlawful violence.

He was banned from attending football matches for five years, ordered to carry out 140 hours’ unpaid work – for both offences – pay £1,000 in costs and a £60 victim surcharge.