38-year-old Lewis Clifford from Worksop has been sentenced to eight months in prison and a six-year football suspension order following a series of assaults that took place on the evening of Saturday 16 September 2023.

His sentencing took place at Mansfield Magistrates Court where Mr Clifford pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm to three separate people following a Tottenham v Sheffield United match.

The British Transport Police (BTP) launched an investigation following the assaults that took place at Retford station at around 8 pm that Saturday evening.

The incident started when three members and Mr Clifford engaged in banter about his appearance, in this case, most notably his Sheffield United away shirt.

After a while, the banter quickly turned heated and violent, which led to the 38-year-old pushing one man into the running lines just meters from a fast train passing on the tracks behind him.

Mr Clifford then pushed the second man in the head and pushed a third man to the floor against a platform lamppost, CCTV appeared to show the third victim unconscious following his collision with a lamppost, but this didn’t deter Lewis from stamping on his head while laying face down on the platform. Not long after this string of violent offences, Mr Clifford headed into Retford with his family.

Following the incident, local media launched a CCTV appeal showing Mr Clifford not long after the incident, he was eventually caught, interviewed and subsequently charged.

“I am pleased with the result in this case. Clifford acted recklessly and violently and was lucky his actions did not result in any deaths.

“The prison sentence and banning order should serve as a reminder to anyone, football fan or not, that would act with violence towards others on the railway network that their actions will not be tolerated.”

DC Lee Walker Investigating Officer