A FOOTBALL fan who was among a gang of rioting Hull City hooligans in York City centre has been banned from attending home games for three years.

Ross Michael Smith, 24, has been banned from Hull City games, both home and away, after repeated violence including the pre-season friendly match against York City on July 17.

The match saw one of York's biggest-ever deployments of riot police to deal with the trouble in Lendal Cellars after 40 to 50 Hull fans took over the pub, hours before the match was due to take place.

Streets adjacent to the pub were sealed off for hours until armed officers marched the fans back to the railway station.

Smith, of Alliance Avenue, west Hull, was banned along with Shane Cooper, 24, who was among the rioting fans.

Humberside Police applied for the banning orders after the men were involved in repeated fighting.

Both men were also involved in incidents against Nottingham Forest supporters, and Smith took part in fights after West Ham fixtures and a World Cup game.

Smith has been given a three-year football banning order by Hull Magistrates Court.

He is banned from attending a town or city where Hull City has an away fixture both four hours before the game and two hours after the game.

He is also banned from entering an area within half-a-mile of the KC Stadium when Hull City are playing at home, both four hours before the game starts and two hours after it finishes.

Cooper, of 10th Avenue, north Hull, has been given a three-year football banning order and is banned from attending a town or city where Hull City has an away fixture before and after the game.

He is also banned from entering an area within a mile-and-a-half of the KC Stadium when Hull City are playing at home, before and after the game.