A Bolton Wanderers fan was involved in two separate outbreaks of violence in the space of just two months, a court has heard.

Ashley Stott, 33 of Coniston Avenue, Little Hulton, was first involved in a fight between rival fans after Wanderers' home game against Shrewsbury Town on December 29, 2019 before again becoming involved in a clash with Blackpool fans on February 25 2020.

At Preston Crown Court Recorder Joanne Woodward heard about Stott’s role in both incidents.

She told him: “Though your role was not as significant as that of others, you can be seen egging people on and throwing a bottle at another person.”

Claire Larton, prosecuting, told the court how the violence in Bolton in December 2019 involved “significant violence in the town centre.”

The next incident broke out in Blackpool before a Wanderers away fixture.

Stott and some fellow fans had been in the Ardwick Pub when a group of Blackpool supporters entered who shouted something at them.

A Blackpool fan then picked up a stool and threw it at the Wanderers fans.

The Wanderers fans then threw stools and glassware back, with Stott throwing an empty glass at the Blackpool fans.

CCTV footage showed other people in the pub, many of them elderly and “visibly distressed” while a man with learning difficulties was stood in the crossfire.

Paulinus Barnes, defending, said his client deserved credit for pleading guilty to affray and public order offences and stressed that he did not initiate the violence.

The court also heard how Stott is in a stable relationship and poses a low risk of reoffending.

But Recorder Woodward told Stott he was “fully involved” in both incidents once they had started.

She sentenced Stott to 56 weeks in prison, suspended for 18 months and ordered him to do 100 hours of unpaid work, 38 days of rehabilitation activities, and made him subject to a three-year football banning order.