fbpx
Connect with us

Championship

Sheffield United speaks out as court gives verdict on Oli McBurnie ‘stamp’

Sheffield United speaks out as court gives a verdict on the ‘stamp’ from Oli McBurnie during last season’s Championship playoffs.

A Nottingham Forest fan told of how he feared for his life when the Sheffield United striker stamped on him during a pitch invasion.

George Brinkley said he was assaulted by McBurnie with footage of moment going viral as soon as Nottingham Forest won the Championship playoff semi-final on penalties back in May 2022.

He told a trial at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court this week that he was attacked after being grabbed to the ground.

The 26 year old footballer pleaded not guilty to a charge of assault by beating, and court found him not guilty.

CLUB STATEMENT:

Sheffield United is pleased to note today’s verdict at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court with regards to Oliver McBurnie.

Oliver, his legal representatives and officials at the club are disappointed that he was forced to stand trial after the traumatic scenes at Nottingham Forest’s City Ground on Tuesday 17th May 2022, when Oliver’s team-mate, Billy Sharp, was violently assaulted.

Blades manager Paul Heckingbottom has spoke openly about the dangers of supporters invading the pitch with the fixture at Nottingham just one of a number of similar high-profile incidents.

Additionally, he has written letters to the Football Association, the English Football League, the League Managers’ Association and the Professional Footballers’ Association with regards to the safety of players in their place of work and is keen for further action in this area.

McBurnie hadn’t been playing in the fixture, but had been wearing a protective boot on his left leg due to an injury picked up before the match.

Simon Jones, prosecuting, showed footage filmed by a home supporter he said showed McBurnie stamping on the fan while he was on the floor, with a voice off-screen saying: “The Sheffield United player has stamped on him.”

“We see that was a quite plainly unlawful and deliberate assault,” Mr Jones said.

Brinkley, 27, from Lincolnshire, said he had some “banter” with McBurnie come half time, as his seat in the Peter Taylor Stand was close to where the away dugout was situated.

He said he joined in the pitch invasion and “had that much adrenaline going through me I didn’t know who was who”, yet still ended up near Sheffield United players and staff.

After being put in a headlock by a player, the fan says he later learned that was Rhian Brewster, he said he fell to the floor, where he recognised Oli McBurnie as he stamped on his shin.

“I felt I was going to get my head kicked in at that precise moment,” he said.

“I did genuinely fear for my life, because I’ve had head injuries in the past and my head is very sensitive.”

 

An assault charge was made against Brewster following the pitch invasion went on to be dropped earlier this year.

Brinkley said he was helped back up off the afterwards and spoke to a steward, before trying to find his phone he had lost.

After the video went viral, the court heard he made a report to the police in the early hours of May 19th.

He said he had suffered bruising to his leg, but for some reason didn’t take pictures as potential proof of any injuries.

Under cross-examination by defence counsel Lisa Judge, the fan talked about a message he had sent McBurnie on Instagram after the match, where he called the player a “scumbag” and disgustingly said: “Karma will come your way. I wish death on you and your family.”

Brinkley denied there was “any malice” in his message and said he wanted the player to know how the incident had made him feel at the time.

A further exchange with a Sheffield United supporter in which the complainant said it was “all about my pay-out” was also raised, which Brinkley said was “just a joke”.

Ms Judge told him it indicated “this made-up fantasy has been brought about as a result of your desire to get compensation”, but Brinkley said he was seeking “justice”.

“The guy who headbutted Billy Sharp [the Sheffield United captain who was assaulted after the match] was in prison two days later,” he said.

“That person’s in prison, but Oli McBurnie’s not in prison because he’s got money – pathetic.”

The court heard evidence from a teenage boy who filmed the alleged assault while on the pitch.

The youth, who cannot be identified due to his age, told the court that McBurnie had “charged” at the alleged victim with an aggressive look on his face.

Brinkley describes how he was “headlocked to the ground”.

“Oli McBurnie stamped on me once, stamped on me twice, then went to stamp on me for the third time, but then got pulled away.

“My instant reaction was to kick him but I didn’t because I knew what the repercussions would be.”

Nottingham Forest security team member Jordan Watson, who had been inside the player’s tunnel, also gave evidence on what he heard or saw, saying shortly after Billy Sharp had appeared with a bleeding face, McBurnie had put up the hood of his training top and made his way to the pitch.

Asked to describe the player’s facial expression, Watson said: “Concentrated but slightly angry. A bit like ‘I know where I’m going’.”

The fan said he feared for his life because his head is “very sensitive” due to past head injuries.

McBurnie’s barrister, Lisa Judge, asked Brinkley if he was suggesting that McBurnie had singled him out of a crowd and assaulted him “purely because you had said he was a s*** footballer, I am better than you and I’m not a pro’.”.

Ms Judge asked: “He (McBurnie) said ‘Aha, that’s the man who said I was a s*** footballer, I am going to stamp on him?'”

Brinkley answered: “I believe so.”

Brinkley said McBurnie had heard the comment, adding: “He responded to me, laughing, and said ‘You look like you are’.

“I said ‘Enjoy the Championship next season’. I had a smile on my face. Hopefully, because I was joking, it came across in that way. It’s just a bit of banter, isn’t it?”

When questioned by prosecutor Simon Jones about how McBurnie responded, Brinkley said: “He had a grin on his face – quite patronising… looking down on me.”

The court heard how McBurnie maintained that he did not make any physical contact with Brinkley.

The footballer also said in a statement to police he had slightly lost his balance after being out injured for several weeks.

His statement added: “My intention at all times was in fact to make sure that I did not make any such contact with him.”

On Thursday, the 15th of December 2022, McBurnie was cleared of assault by beating.

District Judge Leo Pyle said: “[From] what I’ve heard over the last few days, the prosecution hasn’t proved their case to the required standard.

“The phone footage clearly shows that he [Mr McBurnie] pulled his left leg back and over Brinkley’s pulled up leg.

“For someone so wedded to his phone and social media one has to ask the obvious question why didn’t he photograph these bruises?”

“What this witness describes and what is reality as far as evidence is concerned seems to diverge.”

The defence on George Brinkley, the alleged victim: “He is disingenuous in the extreme and over-egging the pudding.” “He commits the criminal offence of moving on to the pitch and seeks, thereafter, the protection of this court. It’s a farce.”

When the pitch invasion happened, McBurnie was asked why he didn’t do the “sensible thing” and immediately leave the pitch by walking down tunnel. “I don’t know it’s just one of them things,” he replied.

When asked about his character, McBurnie said “I’m a nice guy, I take my career very seriously and I provide for my family. If you think I would risk something like that for something like this, then you don’t know me very well.”

Here’s how fans reacted as Sheffield United speak out as court gives a verdict on the Oli McBurnie ‘stamp’…

@nundydaz: I hope the forest fan has received his banning order for entering the playing field, plus he should be paying all the court costs for wasting tax payers money.

@sufcdan12: Should never have even gone to court

@Preece14Tony: What’s more alarming is the waste of public funds,the cps need investigating for letting this go to court.

@BenNFFC2002: The read outs from yesterday was absolutely cringeworthy on the Forest fans part. There wasn’t a chance McBurnie was going to be found guilty of anything.

@MilnesD: I assume that action will now be taken against the accuser for being on the pitch and against Forest for failing to control their crowd.

@tommyb07: A great statement from club, fully backed 🔴⚪️⚔️

@ChrisHu45292304: @oli_ mcburnie delighted on today’s common sense decision Oli. Time to move on, Score Goals and get Dem Blades flying.

@OJSLCFC: The fact that case ever got to court is ridiculous, the fact he claimed Brewster assaulted him (Was proven innocent) and then tries to claim Mcburnie (who was in a foot cast) was stomping on him. Can smell an easy payday a mile off, glad the judge threw it out.

@McBoozeface: What a monumental waste of everyone’s time that was.

@matt_zanelli: @oli_mcburnie being found not guilty just shows the fucking waste of time that case was! Shouldn’t be on the pitch and was clearly out for a payday!

@Lincs_Blade: The McBurnie case. The fan is on the field illegally. The fan has sent abusive messages but insists there is “no malice”. The fan breaks the law by encroaching and then puts his own safety at risk going into an uncontrolled crowd after a head injury. And this got to court how? The only thing that can be proven beyond all reasonable doubt in this case is that the accuser is a grade A wazzock. A fully paid up member of the twat society. What a waste of time for the justice system. Appreciate the multiple takes to this. It boils down to the following. Silly bastard plays with fire gets burnt. He stays in his fucking seat rather than being an attention seeking little chav and nobody gets hurt. Fucking sick of mongs causing trouble & crying when it backfires! As for hideously inept CPS. It’s utterly insulting to genuine victims of assault that they would give court time to this, while real cases may go unheard or even NFA’d altogether. Pleased justice has been done. Now @oli_mcburnie can get back to scoring goals in the red & white!

@r_zonnyyyy: I bet the forest prick has not been charged for coming onto the pitch

@SufcLee: grateful & they saw sense. but it couldnt have been anything. as if he wasnt invading the pitch in the 1st place & highly likely running towards mcburnie. none this wouldve happened

Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

More in Championship