A BOLTON Wanderers' fan banned from football grounds by a court says he will fight the order claiming he has been made a "scapegoat".

Window cleaner Stephen Holden, 31, says he is prepared to take his case "right to the top" claiming the banning order is an infringement on his human rights.

Holden of Valpy Avenue, Hall i' th' Wood, was given a three year ban from matches in England and other countries by Judge Alan Berg at Manchester Magistrates' Court.

Two other men, Neil Holland, 34, from Stockport and Lee Spence, 31, from Oldham, were banned for three and two years respectively during Wednesday's court hearing.

Holden was given the maximum ban under the new Football (Disorder) Act which came into force last month.

One implication of the ban is he must now surrender his passport each time England play abroad.

Holden has one conviction for threatening behaviour two years ago and a caution for disorder in 1995 -- both incidents took place following games between Bolton and Blackburn.

But he told the BEN that with just one conviction he believes he has been unfairly singled out and is prepared to take his case to the European Court of Human Rights if he has to.

"I think the court has gone way over the top and I have been made an example of," he said. "I was never in trouble with the police before this or since and I think they have come down on me too harshly."

He said the conviction for threatening behaviour came after "a bit of pushing and shoving" between him and a Blackburn fan in a pub.

Holden now has 21 days to appeal against the ban and says he has already instructed a barrister to fight his case.

"It is going to cost me a lot of money to see this through," he said. "It is not so much the ban itself but the slur on my and my family's name. It could cost me my business and I want people to know that this ban is not deserved."

A spokesman for the Football Association (FA) said they could not comment on individual cases but they were pleased to see the new legislation being put into practice.

"We support this legislation and lobbied hard to see it introduced," the spokesman said. "if it helps to cut down on the number of hooligans travelling abroad and in the domestic game then it can only be a good thing."

The ban will be enforced by officers from Greater Manchester Police who patrol the Reebok on match days.

A spokesman for Bolton Wanderers said that while the case had nothing to do with them they fully supported the actions of the police and magistrates.

"As a club we will not tolerate any acts of hooliganism by people claiming to be fans," the spokesman said: "We will support and co-operate with any action by police and it they who carry out surveillance at the ground and they who will be responsible for enforcing any bans."