A man accused of taking part in a Wild West-style brawl in a Cheltenham pub has told a jury he was an innocent victim.

Dale Bowman, 36, is accused of throwing a chair and a beer glass at Cheltenham Town supporters while he was with Oxford United fans in the Moon under the Water pub on February 7 last year.

But Bowman, of Compton Drive, Abingdon, told Glouc-ester Crown Court he did not do anything violent and was simply trying to protect himself and friends.

Bowman and co-defendant Christopher Williams, 34, of Spruce Gardens, Oxford, both deny violent disorder.

Yesterday, Bowman said he was not a football fan but had gone on a coach trip to celebrate friends’ birthdays.

He said he was standing in the pub when he heard shouting behind him.

“I turned round and people were fighting. I tried to grab my friend Jake Smith – I was just trying to calm the situation down,” he said.

“There were two people in front of me who were throwing glasses. A bottle hit me on the head and I went down and my own glass went to the floor.

“I certainly didn’t throw anything at anyone and I had not been aggressive or said anything to encourage violence. I was just trying to calm the situation.”

Asked about a CCTV image of him with his arm outstretched, he said: “Two people were attacking me and I was just trying to push them off. They were punching me.

“Glasses, chairs and tables were coming at me. I didn’t want to get hit on the head again so I picked up a chair to protect myself. It was kicking off all around me but I didn’t throw the chair.”

Bowman said once he had managed to get out of the pub he just wanted to get home and, suspecting the bus would be late because of the trouble, he took a taxi costing £45-50 to go back to Abingdon.

He showed the jury pictures taken by his wife Donna that night of his head injuries.

Cross-examined by Julian Kesner, prosecuting, he denied that he removed his jacket when he left the pub so that he would not be recognised and arrested.

Williams chose not to give evidence and did not call any defence witnesses.

The trial continues.