A BUSY town centre pub was turned into a scene from a Wild West saloon bar brawl as two rival groups of football fans battled, a court heard.

The fight involving a coach load of Oxford United fans sent frightened customers running from the Moon under the Water pub in Cheltenham, prosecutor Julian Kesner told Gloucester Crown Court today.

He said the clash, on February 7 last year, pitched U’s supporters against fans of Cheltenham Town.

The Oxford fans had gone to Cheltenham after their scheduled match against Kettering was cancelled because of bad weather.

In the dock were two of the Oxfordshire group, Dale Bowman, 36, of Compton drive, Abingdon, and Christopher Williams, 34, of Spruce Gardens, Oxford. They both deny committing violent disorder.

A third man, who had also denied the offence, changed his plea at the last minute. Tristan Hayle, 24, of Cedar Road, Oxford, was formally found guilty by the jury on the judge’s direction and discharged to await sentence at a later date.

Mr Kesner told the court Williams had organised the coach trip, and when the match was cancelled the driver was told instead to take them to Cheltenham.

“When they arrived in Cheltenham that morning some of them went around the town while others went to the Moon under the Water,” said Mr Kesner. “It was some five hours later that the brawl occurred. By then Cheltenham Town supporters were in the pub as well. They were grouped at one end of the bar and the Oxford supporters were the other end.”

Mr Kesner told the jury CCTV footage showed how the incident “kicked off” at 5.17pm.

“An Oxford supporter wearing a dark top with three stripes across the middle appeared to trigger it by gesticulating at some of the Cheltenham supporters,” he said.

“It kicked off from there. If I can put it colloquially, they were all up for it and little encouragement was required.

“The words ‘come on then’ were immediately followed by an onslaught. Chairs were thrown, glasses and bottles were thrown. “They were all being used as weapons and ammunition.

“It is our case that you can see Mr Williams throwing chairs and Mr Bowman stood close to him also throwing chairs and a beer glass.”

Mr Kesner said a few customers stood their ground, but most hurriedly left the pub to escape the danger while some took shelter as best they could.

“Quite a lot of witnesses describe it as being like a Western saloon bar brawl,” he said.

“But this was not the badlands of South Dakota at the height of the Gold Rush – this was Cheltenham Spa, 2009.”

Bowman confessed he was the man shown in the CCTV images as one of the alleged protagonists but insisted he had done nothing wrong and had only picked up a chair to defend himself.

Williams admitted he was at the scene, but claimed that he was a victim of mistaken identity.

He insisted he was not the violent man identified from the CCTV.

The trial continues.