Stephen Allinson was charged with attempted theft and criminal damage following the incident at Goodison Park when the Toffees hosted Ipswich Town
Adam Everett and James Caven
08:41, 02 Oct 2025Updated 09:13, 02 Oct 2025
It was described as a 'daft' moment
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It was described as a 'daft' moment
A football fan has been banned from Everton's stadium after being accused of trying to steal a row of seats. Stephen Allinson, 65, was said to have been among supporters who attempted to "remove an entire row of seats" at Goodison Park as a "memento".
Prosecutors claimed it took place on May 3 when the Toffees hosted Ipswich Town in the historic ground's penultimate men's game. The Everton fan, of Pirton, Herts, was charged with attempted theft and criminal damage and appeared before Liverpool Crown Court on Wednesday (October 1).
But the prosecution decided to drop the case and not guilty verdicts were recorded. He has been banned from Everton's new ground, Hill Dickinson Stadium, until "at least" the end of the season.
Wearing a black suit over a white shirt and blue tie and sporting short grey hair and glasses in the dock, he spoke only to confirm his name and date of birth and deny both counts during the hearing.
Iain Criddle, prosecuting, told the court that the charges related to Allinson allegedly "trying to take seats from Goodison Park at one of the last games of the season as a memento".
Everton fan Stephen Allinson leaving court
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Everton fan Stephen Allinson leaving court
Judge Neil Flewitt KC said that he "presumably didn't want to pay £90 that the club was charging". Jonathan Duffy, defending, said his client and other supporters had "tried to remove an entire row of seats by removing bolts from the framework".
Mr Criddle said: "It is a rather daft thing for a 65-year-old man to find himself in a crown court for. There has been an informal resolution, which involved Mr Allinson agreeing to pay some money to Everton's charity.
"They are happy with that as a resolution, and the prosecution is happy with that as a resolution. The defendant has now been banned from the new stadium until at least the end of the season."
Leaving court
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He agreed to pay some money to charity
Judge Flewitt quipped that this "may or may not be a punishment". Mr Criddle added: "The prosecution do not intend to proceed. I submit that there is evidence on which he could have been convicted.
"The defendant was captured on CCTV. The prosecution would say that this showed him attempting to remove seats and causing damage.
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"Given the payment of the money to Everton in the Community, given the circumstances in which the offence was allegedly committed and the harm caused, the prosecution would take the view that it would not be in the public interest to proceed with this."
Judge Flewitt, who earlier noted that the "crown court was rather busy with more serious cases", therefore recorded formal not guilty verdicts against Allinson. He said: "I am not in any way condoning what he did, but it is inconceivable that this case will ever see the light of day again.
"I am going to direct that not guilty verdicts be recorded in this case. Mr Allinson, you are free to go."