Moonwalking Imps fan banned after Michael Jackson move on pitch

A “moonwalking” Lincoln City fan has been banned from Sincil Bank for a second time.

Season ticket holder of six years Shane Barton ran onto the pitch and briefly performed the Michael Jackson dance move at last month’s home league fixture with Charlton Athletic.

The 27-year-old received a three-year ban from attending any FA match in the UK and a court bill of £811.

ALSO READ: Football fan banned after storming pitch during Lincoln City game to goad Imps

City magistrates heard that Barton had received a club ban about three years ago after playfully giving a player a “comedy double slap” on the cheeks in a match against Sunderland.

This week the groundworker, of Cupola Close, North Hykeham, pleaded guilty to going onto a playing area at a football match on October 16.

The hearing was told that Barton was one of a number of fans who got on to the pitch after Charlton had scored a second-half equaliser.

Prosecutor Marie Stace: “A police officer observes Mr Barton running on to the pitch near to the away end. He initially assumed he was an away fan but then saw that the stewards were walking him back to the Co-op stand, which is for home fans.

“So he escorts Mr Barton on to Sincil Bank. He says: ‘This was disrupted by other fans trying to get to Mr Barton but we did manage to get him outside.’”

She added: “After caution, he did say to the officer that he had got a little excited.”

In interview, the defendant admitted his actions and said he’d had four to five pints.

Solicitor Vicki Clayton, mitigating, said Barton described his excitement as going over to fans and doing a “moonwalk”.

“He got carried away, went on to the pitch and the moonwalk was less than ten seconds before he was escorted off,” she added.

Miss Clayton asked the magistrates not to impose the football banning order as there had been no violence shown towards anyone and a ban would also punish a young child who usually attends matches with him but hadn’t that day.

Referring to the previous ban imposed by Lincoln City, Miss Clayton said Barton had later written to the owner apologising for his actions and the club had agreed to end it.

Bench chair Pamela Newman told the father-of-three: “You were in drink but the worst thing was that you entered the playing area and there were other people around you could’ve incited into doing things.

“Winding people up, whether intentional or not, is going to cause problems.”

As well as the ban, Barton was fined £660 and ordered to pay £85 costs and £66 victim surcharge.