Football fan is banned from hotel

A fan has been banned from a hotel overlooking a football ground after he used a room to watch the remainder of a game he had been ejected from.

The man was ejected from Norwich City's home game against Southampton at Carrow Road stadium on Saturday.

But just minutes later the shirtless Saints fan was seen waving and shouting to his fellow supporters from a room at the new Holiday Inn at Carrow Road.

A spokesman for Holiday Inn said the man had now been banned from the hotel.

The man used the hotel room, which had been booked by a friend, after he was ejected from the ground for persistently standing up in the all-seater stadium.

Inappropriate behaviour

He and his friend have both now been banned from the Holiday Inn, which overlooks the pitch between the Jarrold Stand and Barclay End, after it was deemed his behaviour at the hotel was inappropriate.

Rules do not prohibit people from watching football matches from the hotel but there are regulations to curb behaviour that could be deemed anti-social by other residents and to prevent guests inviting fans into their rooms to see games for free.

Joe Ferrari, spokesman for Norwich City Football Club, confirmed the club was aware of the incident and would continue to work with the hotel management on match security.

"The advent of the hotel is new and obviously in that respect we have to work to ensure everything runs smoothly."

We have business guests and it is unfortunate when this sort of thing happens Neil Sewell, manager of the Holiday Inn Carrow Road

Neil Sewell, manager of the Holiday Inn Carrow Road, said: "We will look seriously at anybody who contravenes the rules and regulations on match days.

"We would not encourage incidents like this. We have business guests and it is unfortunate when this sort of thing happens."

Mr Sewell said those involved had been "asked" not to return.

Southampton Football Club said it had not been contacted by anyone from Norwich about the incident and was not planning to take any action against the fan.

Rules laid down earlier this year by police state that no more than two adults are to be allowed in rooms overlooking the pitch on match days for a period of one hour before or one hour after a home match.

Banners, signs or visible representations are not to be displayed at or hung from windows facing the football pitch at any time.