http://www.thisislincolnshire.co.uk/news/Police-make-150-mile-trip-charge-Celtic-fans-pre-season-football-violence/article-2708693-detail/article.html

Disorder among Celtic fans during the pre-season friendly at Sincil Bank.

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THREE Celtic fans have been charged with public order offences after Lincolnshire Police officers travelled 150 miles to find them.

Football intelligence officers yesterday made the trip to Carlisle and charged Shaun Conway, 20, Gary Watt, 23, and Jordan Dever, 26, with public order offences.

The charges were brought in relation to violence and disorder which broke out in Lincoln when Lincoln City played Celtic in a friendly match on July 24.

It is alleged they were involved in a brawl at the Golden Cross in High Street.

And it has brought the number of people arrested from the day to 27.

Lincolnshire Police football intelligence officer Andy Pearson spoke to the Echo on the journey back to Lincoln.

"We are proactive in making arrests after the fact and people should realise they may not get away with it just because they were not arrested on the day," he said.

"They were identified from enquiries and CCTV footage and we did stop checks shortly after the disorder."

The men, who are all from the Glasgow area, agreed to travel to Carlisle to meet the officers.

This was because English officers do not have the power of arrest in Scotland.

As reported in the Echo, 20 arrests were initially made when trouble blew up in the High Street.

Imps and Hoops fans were arrested for a mixture of assault and public order offences.

And dozens of police officers and riot vans were present for most of the day. In August, Stewart Stanley admitted to kicking another man before trading punches with him during the High Street violence.

The Scotsman was fined £335 at Lincoln Magistrates Court, but spared from receiving a three-year football banning order.

He was spotted kicking a man who ran past him.

Stanley, who is from Glasgow, pleaded guilty to a public order offence and was also ordered to pay costs of £85 and a £15 surcharge.

Chief executive of Lincoln City Football Club, Dave Roberts, said: "We have always worked quite closely with Lincolnshire Police and the courts on a zero tolerance approach.

"As a result Lincoln City has always been and stays a safe, family environment.

"Lincolnshire Police are very supportive of us."