Celtic, Hearts and Hibs fans dealt with in court after taking flares to Sunderland vs Watford match at Stadium of Light

Lisle Thompson, 24, of Roman Terrace; Dylan Peacock, 19, of Barley Bree Lane; Sean Murrin, 25, of Gibralter Gardens, and Euan Lockhart, 25, of Roman Terrace, all Edinburgh, admitted possession of a firework while entering a designated sports ground during the period of a designated sporting event when they appeared at South Tyneside Magistrates Court.

All but Murrin also admitted possession of amphetamine, a class B controlled drug.

The court heard all four had travelled down from Edinburgh for the last home game of the season on April 29 because they had a friend playing for visitors Watford.

Sniffer dog

Prosecutor Gurjot Kaur told the court Thompson had been seen by a steward with a ‘pyrotechnic’ in his hand. Interviewed by police, he said someone had given it to him as he got off the coach and he was planning to put it in the bin.

Murrin had been found to be in possession of a firework during a search, after being stopped by a sniffer dog. He told officers he had been given it by ‘a random person’ in the pub.

Peacock had also been identified by a dog and found to have two pyrotechnics in his possession which he had admitted intending to set off in the ground.

Lockhart had been found with a long cylindrical firework, which he had concealed in his jeans. He had given a ‘no comment’ interview.

Paul McAlindon, for the four, said all the men were of previous good character: “None of them has had a previous conviction, none of them had had a previous caution or even an arrest.”

He told the court: “There was no intention to cause any disorder whatsover.”

The High Court had recognised that the impact of a football banning order could be serious and said courts should consider the nature of the offences and the offenders before imposing an ‘unjust’ order, he said.

"This is four young lads who made some silly decisions,” said Mr McAlindon.

"They come to court all four of them having been of good character and face the prospect of having an order imposed that would impose quite significant limitations on their liberties.

"Are there any grounds for believing making such an order would prevent violence or disorder?”

‘Strong rivals’

Murrin was a season ticket holder at Celtic, whose derbies with Rangers were often tainted by violence, but had never been in any kind of trouble: “Two of the others support Hearts and Hibs, who are strong rivals, but they are friends,” said Mr McAlindon.

He expressed surprise that Thompson, Peacock and Lockhart had not been offered the option of accepting a caution for the amphetamine offences and suggested they could be dealt with by way of an absolute discharge: “If not, I would suggest a very short conditional discharge would be appropriate.”

Magistrates fined Peacock and Thompson £166, Lockhart £133 and Murrin £116. Thompson, Peacock and Lockhart were given absolute discharges for the amphetamine offences.

Magistrates rejected the application for banning orders in all four cases.