THE chief executive of Southend United has welcomed the punishment handed down to Mark Coshever - and said they are considering taking further action.

Steve Kavanagh also told the Echo that they have reviewed security arrangements in the wake of the ugly scenes that marred the team’s 3-0 victory over bitter rivals Colchester United.

He said: “I am delighted the court handed down a UK banning order for all games, it is more than we can do at a club level and shows that anyone doing such things will be punished.

“Five years is a good amount of time, but we will be considering taking further sanctions as a club in terms of potentially imposing a Roots Hall ban for a longer period.

“If we were to do so then he would be the first one we would inform of that.”

Echo:

Mr Kavanagh at Roots Hall

Mr Kavanagh said his behaviour was “completely and utterly unacceptable”.

He added: “He is not welcome here, end of.

“His actions do not represent Southend United or anything that we want anything to do with.

“Naturally, following the events, we have reviewed all of our procedures and have spoken to our safety advisory group and will continue to have conversations with them.

“We also had a thorough debrief with the police and you naturally learn from events such as these and assess our procedures, as we routinely do anyway.”

THUG GETS FIVE-YEAR STADIUM BAN

THE man who attacked Colchester United fans during the Essex derby at Roots Hall earlier this month has been banned from football matches for five years - and told to steer clear of the ground on match days.

Yesterday father-of-three Mark Coshever, 39, pleaded guilty to affray and entering the pitch during the game between Southend United and Colchester United, on February 6.

He was sentenced to the banning order, given an eight-week prison sentence - suspended for 12 months - and ordered to pay £265 in fines and 200 hours in unpaid work.

Sentencing Coshever, at Southend Magistrates Court, the chairman of the bench, Christopher Catchpole, said: “We find your behaviour to be inexcusable.

“This is a high level of unpaid work, but we do give you credit that you handed yourself in and have pleaded guilty and sent a letter to Southend United apologising.

“You must complete the work to a high standard and you must do it when asked of you.”

Coshever wore a grey suit, pink shirt and red tie and is set to move to Spain in June where he will marry his partner and set up home.

He admitted leaving the stand containing home fans and entering the playing area during the match.

He proceeded to walk across the pitch and aim a short burst of punches at the Colchester United fans before he was restrained by stewards.

Yet he walked back into the Southend United’s West Stand, watched the rest of the game. He wasn’t arrested.

It was a few days later, on Tuesday February 9, he handed himself in at Rayleigh police station and gave a statement to police, who subsequently arrested him.

The ban prevents him from coming within one mile of Roots Hall on a match day and he is banned from the town centre four hours before kickoff or four hours after the final whistle.

He must also not be in the town or city of any Blues away match for the same time period, unless it is Birmingham or London, in which case he cannot be within five miles of the stadium.

Coshever of Eaton Place, Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, already has convictions for common assault and causing actual bodily harm and has previously completed an anger management course.

In mitigation George Lewzey said: “He was a lone man and it was an act of lunacy.

“He has shown remorse, he handed himself in to Rayleigh police station and has apologised to the club.”

After being sentenced Coshever was rushed out of the side exit of the courthouse, not for use by the public, by his solicitor and ran away as the Echo tried to get a photo of him.

CRIMINAL HAD BUSINESS LINKS WITH CLUB

Echo:

Coshever with Adam Barrett in 2009

MARK Coshever is a long-time fan of the Blues, even having business ties with the club.

Coshever’s former company, Essex Car Rentals, were once the official travel partner of Southend United and in 2007 presented Alan McCormack with keys to his sponsored car.

Two years later he also presented Blues hero Adam Barrett with a car.

Barrett scored against Colchester United on the day of Coshever’s offences, shortly after the violence had erupted.