A FOOTBALL hooligan who hurled cups of beer at German supporters and pushed a policeman to the ground during last year's World Cup tournament has been banned from attending matches for three years.

Saints fan Ben Heathcote, 24, was arrested in Stuttgart, Germany, last June during a clash between England and Germany supporters.

He was taken to a German police cell and missed the rest of the tournament. He is now banned from watching the Saints play and cannot attend any designated football matches or England international games at home or away.

The clash was on the eve of Germany's 2-0 win over Sweden and the night before the England vs Ecuador game.

Heathcote, of Lower Buckland Road in Lymington, was one of hundreds of fans who gathered in Stuttgart's main square to soak up the World Cup atmosphere.

Yesterday (JAN8), Southampton Magistrates' Court heard taunting, jeering and missile throwing turned the atmosphere sour.

The court was shown CCTV footage of the mass brawl, which showed Heathcote dressed in a red England T-shirt flinging items into the crowd.

The carpet fitter was handed a four-month prison sentence, later reduced to a three-month suspended prison sentence, by the German courts.

District Judge Lorraine Morgan imposed the football banning order for three years, the maximum length of such an order. The order also requires Heathcote to hand his passport in to the police five days before any England away games.

Heathcote, who has previous convictions for racially aggravated common assault and a public order offence, was also ordered to pay court costs of £55.