Football hooligans who attacked an 'innocent' punter before a clash between West Bromwich Albion and Birmingham City have been locked up. 'Violent' Wolverhampton Wanderers fans Steven Walters, 36, and Nathan Pearce, 28, left their victim unconscious in the street after beating him ahead of the match at The Hawthorns.

They waited in a road near to a pub packed with Baggies fans before pouncing on their unsuspecting victim as part of cruel pre-arranged plans to fight rival fans. Wolverhampton Crown Court heard the pair were in High Street, West Bromwich on October 15, 2021.

They waited there for eight minutes until spotting two men leaving the Great Lion pub at about 7pm. Baggies fans - who later celebrated their 1-0 Championship game win against Blues - had been inside the pub.

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One man managed to flee the scene. But the defendants - both from Wolverhampton - then punched and kicked their victim, knocking him to the ground.

Walters stamped on the victim's head, while Pearce thumped him with a bottle. The victim - who suffered blunt force trauma to his head - landed on broken glass as he collapsed, leaving him with a stab and slash wound to his back.

Walters and Pearce then walked away from the scene, leaving their victim wounded on the ground. The man has since recovered from his injuries.

The thugs had gone to the area as part of a pre-organised football fight, police said. The Wolves fans were also known to officers as suspected football hooligans prior to the attack.

Walters, of Perry Avenue, Low Hill, and Pearce, of Woden Avenue, Wednesfield, admitted wounding and were each jailed for four years on Friday, September 22. They were also each handed banning orders preventing them from going to matches for eight years.

Inspector Richard Cox, of West Midlands Police's force football unit, said: "There is no place in football, or society as a whole, for violence like this. During the court hearing, Pearce and Walters stated they had gone to the town as part of a pre-organised football fight arranged with West Bromwich Albion risk supporters.

"They came out of the side street expecting a large number in the group and attacked the man, an innocent bystander, who was walking between pubs. These sentences should serve as a warning that we will not tolerate such violence and we will always work to identify those who sadly do still think it is acceptable and bring them before the courts."