A football hooligan has admitted slapping Jack Grealish in the face – claiming he was provoked by the England and Manchester City star calling him an ‘ugly little w*****’.
Grealish was assaulted at the end of his team’s goalless derby against Manchester United at Old Trafford on April 6.
Alfie Holt, 20, who attacked the 29-year-old midfielder as he was leaving the pitch, today told Manchester Magistrates’ Court that he acted after being insulted by the footballer.
Details of the incident were first revealed by Mail Sport.
United season ticket holder Holt, of Droylsden, Greater Manchester, admitted a charged of assault and was given a three-year Football Banning Order, fined £120, and ordered to pay £85 costs and a surcharge of £48.
He told the court: ‘I did not expect him to say what he said to me and I have reacted. I regret it. That’s it.’
But the court heard it was Holt who initially attracted Grealish’s attention by shouting abuse in his direction.
Shazia Aslam, prosecuting, told the court the incident took place as the players were leaving the field and heading for the tunnel.
She said both sets of fans were ‘very vocal’ and shouting abusive comments to rival players.
Alfie Holt pictured outside Manchester Magistrates’ Court where he admitted assault charge
The court heard that as footballers walked towards the the tunnel, Holt stood very close by, hurling abuse at City players.
Ms Aslam said: ‘As the complainant Jack Grealish, a Man City player enters the tunnel area he hears the defendant shouting comments towards him, turns and walks towards him. Both have an exchange of words.
‘As the complainant walks away, the defendant slaps the complainant across the face. There was no injury. He was arrested outside the stadium.’
In a witness statement, Grealish told police he could not hear what the defendant was shouting due to the crowd noise, so walked towards Holt and to speak to him.
He still couldn’t hear so had walked away and it was then he was slapped.
Jack Grealish pictured in the tunnel after the goalless derby match when he was assaulted
After he was arrested, Holt told police he’d been drinking before the game and went to the match with his father.
He’d shouted abuse at other City players, including Phil Foden, who ignored him, the court was told.
He then shouted, ‘K***head’ at Grealish, who reacted and a there was a ‘verbal altercation’, magistrates heard.
Holt told police Grealish said to him: ‘You little, ugly w*****.’. He said he then ‘flipped’, reached out and slapped the footballer.
Magistrates were shown a brief clip of the incident, which had no sound.
Melanie Winstanley, defending, said Holt had no previous convictions and had never been arrested before so the incident was completely out of character for him.
His Man Utd season ticket, which he has had for 12 years, had already been revoked, which is a ‘significant punishment’ to him.
Alfie Holt claims he was called an ‘ugly little w*****’ by Jack Grealish before he struck out
Ms Winstanley said: ‘He’s admitted what he’s done, he’s owned what he’s done. It’s a very minor assault.’
The match was also marred by derogatory chants from United fans towards City’s Phil Foden.
City boss Pep Guardiola said the chants, about Foden’s mother, showed a ‘lack of class’.
He added: ‘But it’s not United, it’s the people, you know? We are so exposed in the screen in world football – managers, owners, and football players especially/
‘Honestly, I don’t understand the mind of the people involving the mum of Phil, it’s a lack of integrity, class, and they should be ashamed.’
Birmingham-born Grealish has been linked with a move away from the Etihad this summer.
But while attending Oasis’s massive gig at Manchester’s Heaton Park on Friday, he told a fan that he loved City “more than anything”.
His manager Pep Guardiola also attended the concert with his daughter.
The tunnel at Old Trafford where fans are close to players running onto and off the pitch
It is not the first time Grealish has been attacked by a hooligan supporting a rival team.
In 2019, a Birmingham City supporter was jailed for 14 weeks after running on to the pitch at St Andrew’s during the second city derby when Grealish was captain of Aston Villa.
Paul Mitchell, of Rubery, Worcestershire, ran on to the pitch and hit Grealish from behind about 10 minutes the game in March that year.
Appearing at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court, Mitchell, then 27, admitted assault and encroachment on to the pitch.
