An Oxford United player who got involved in a violent pub brawl was today starting an 18-month prison sentence.

Terry Parker, 21, a defender who joined the U's last summer, punched one man in the face, hit him over the back with a chair, and then chased others into a raised area in the pub where he hurled another chair at them.

The crown court in Parker's home city of Southampton heard yesterday (July 4) that the melee, which went on for three or four minutes, resembled "a scene from a wild west saloon bar brawl".

Parker, of the Lordshill area of the city, denied affray, but was convicted by a jury.

He told Hampshire Police officers he could not remember hitting anyone, but accepted he may have done so, but only in self defence.

He is the latest in a long line of professional footballers to be jailed in recent years for drink-related offences.

Ironically, the man who brought him to Oxford United, then manager Graham Rix, had himself served a jail term for having sex with an underage girl.

West Bromwich Albion striker Lee Hughes is currently serving a six-year jail term for causing death by dangerous driving and Arsenal midfielder Jermaine Pennant was given three months earlier this year for drink-driving while banned from the road.

Judge Christopher Leigh told Parker: "You are a professional footballer and you have a lot to lose by a sentence of imprisonment.''

The court heard that the uproar at the Standing Order pub, in Southampton, was "unprovoked and gratuitous violence, fuelled by alcohol".

The trouble flared when one of Parker's group, Karl McLeod, accused victim John Goble -- who had gone to the pub with two friends -- of aggressively staring at him.

Mr Goble had gone to the front door to use his mobile phone and was punched in the face. In the subsequent mayhem, chairs were wielded and thrown and a glass hurled.

Parker was arrested running off down a road nearby. Mr Goble and a friend, Matthew Maunders, were treated in hospital, principally for bruising to the face and back.

McLeod, a 21-year-old scaffolder, of Lordshill, Southampton, and Christopher Powell, also 21 and a sales assistant, of Lordshill, pleaded guilty.

The former was jailed for nine months and the latter was given 200 hours' community punishment.

Passing sentence, Judge Leigh told the trio: "Some of the brawl was captured on closed circuit television and anyone who saw it could have been in no doubt that what happened was serious.

"People were throwing punches, chairs were picked up and either used or thrown.

"Innocent people were frightened and the landlord remained behind the counter, fearing that if he emerged, he might have been hurt."

Fern Russell, defending Parker, who had a previous conviction in 2002 for a pub-related charge of battery, said he deeply regretted his behaviour and had written a letter to his victim.

Ms Russell added: "He lives at his family home in Southampton, leads a stable and sensible life, and is not assessed as a future risk.

"He is not a career hooligan. It is a surprise he became involved, because he was chatting to the aggrieved before this incident broke out. He will not come before the court again and is deeply ashamed."

After yesterday's verdict, Oxford United chairman Firoz Kassam said: "He only told us on Friday, so he had been keeping it to himself.

"He told the manager Brian Talbot that he wouldn't be at training on Monday, because he was going to court, but we didn't know any details."

Mr Kassam said he would not comment further until the club had been given the full details of the case. Parker