TWO Oxford United fans handed three-year football banning orders last night questioned why they were picked out for court action following a mass pitch invasion.

At Oxford Magistrates’ Court yesterday, Richard Sale, 24, of Plantation Road, Oxford, and Zac Grant, 21, of Stockham Park, Wantage, admitted unlawfully entering the field of play.

They were given a ban, which means they cannot attend games in England and Wales until 2012 and must report to police and hand in their passports when England play abroad.

Neither had previous convictions and one of the men said last night he felt the sentence was “disproproportinate”, especially when other pitch invaders had avoided a ban.

The incidents happened on April 26 when United hosted Northwich Victoria in the final game of last season.

About 30 supporters ran on to the pitch when Oxford scored in the 85th minute.

Prosecutor Caroline Hitchcock said: “Mr Sale went on to the ground carrying a flag and went to confront a Northwich player.

“He is observed going towards him and as a result he is the only one who approaches any of the opposing players. The Northwich manager tried to get his team off the pitch.

“Mr Sale’s actions did have a serious impact on the game.

“He said he was drunk and accepted what he had done was wrong.”

She added: “Mr Grant was identified as a result of photographs in the press and was arrested on August 24. He is the person celebrating.”

The court also heard Sale had never been arrested or cautioned before, while Grant was given a fixed-penalty notice for disorder – not related to football – two days before the game.

Julian Richards, defending Sale, said his client was sworn at by a Northwich player and held up his flag “to ward him off”.

He said: “He denies that he was being threatening in any way.”

Mr Richards said Sale was ejected from the ground and handed himself into St Aldate’s Police Station later that day, before an investigation had begun.

He said: “The indication was he would be dealt with by caution or a ‘yellow card’ (signing an Acceptable Behaviour Contract) as others had.”

Laura Parker, defending Grant, said: “He was simply celebrating a goal – there was no violence whatsoever.”

Sale was fined £210 and told pay £85 costs and a £15 victims’ surcharge. Grant was fined £140, costs of £85 and a £15 victims’ surcharge.

District Judge Tim Pattinson said: “The message has to get out there – pitch invasions must not take place.”

Outside court, apprentice bricklayer Grant, who plays rugby for Oxfordshire, said: “What we did was unacceptable and it’s right what’s happened, it’s the law.

“But the injustice is 30 people went on the pitch and seven of them got ‘yellow cards’ and we get bans. It’s disproportionate, it feels like victimisation.”

Sale, a landscape gardener, added: “Being honest and going to the police station hasn’t done us any favours.”

The pair are also banned from the area around the Kassam Stadium on matchdays.

John McMahon, 27, of Fern Hill Road, Oxford; Joseph Nicholls, 29, of The Vineyard, Abingdon; and Paul Woodburn, 41, of Brize Norton Road, Minster Lovell, denied the charges and will stand trial on January 26.

Nicholls and Woodburn were bailed on condition they do not attend any Oxford games nor visit the city centre, Cowley Centre or Kassam Stadium two hours before or after a home game.

McMahon was given unconditional bail.