A 24-year-old Quinton man who took part in a pre-arranged fight between West Brom-wich Albion fans and rival Wolves supporters has avoided spending time behind bars.

The two sets of opposing fans clashed outside the Frying Pan pub in Darlaston leaving one supporter injured while two others were affected by CS gas.

A group of around 30 Albion fans were armed with weapons including sticks, spanners, a screwdriver and a chisel and they were responding to threats from the Wolves supporters.

The weapons were all dropped when they spotted police officers but the Albion followers charged their rivals and it was only the "quick and courageous" intervention of the police that prevented a major incident.

John Poole, of Simmons Drive, Quinton, who was with the Albion group admitted affray and he was ordered to carry out 40 hours Community Punishment, barred from all football matches for four years and told to pay £200 costs.

"This was a perfectly disgraceful incident," Recorder Patrick Thomas QC told seven Albion supporters in the dock at Wolverhampton Crown Court.

"It is clear this was all pre-arranged and it may well have been done by the opposing group but you all went along knowing there would be significant trouble."

He said there seemed to be a culture where fans encouraged and enjoyed acts of violence based on their support for a football club and warned deterrent sentences would be passed by courts.

"You were all involved in public disorder of a significant kind and the public are entitled to receive the protection of the courts to stamp out this kind of trouble."

Three other fans admitted affray and they were given sentences involving curfews, community punishment and also barred from attending all matches for four years.

Three supporters pleaded guilty to violent disorder and they were given jail sentences ranging from nine to 18 months and were barred from all games for six years.