The man pleaded guilty to assault after the scuffle left the victim, a man in his 60s, with swelling and soreness to the top of his head.
An Everton fan has been banned from games for three years after assaulting a fellow supporter at the club’s home ground. Michael Flanagan, 57, pushed a man in his 60s, sending him hurtling 15 rows down the South Stand in the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
The victim landed on the shoulders of another man below him and suffered swelling and soreness to the top of his head as well as some minor scratches to his legs, police said.
Flanagan pleaded guilty to Section 39 assault and was slapped with a three-year Football Banning Order and ordered to complete 140 hours of unpaid work by Sefton Magistrates Court.
He has also been ordered to cough up £750 compensation to his victim, £400 costs and a £114 victim surcharge.
The incident happened during the Toffees’ game against Arsenal last December, which they lost 1-0 as the Gunners reclaimed top spot in the Premier League thanks to a Viktor Gyokeres penalty.
Match Commander for the game, Superintendent Chris Barnes said: “This was a dangerous and shocking incident which escalated quickly and resulted in the victim being pushed backwards over rows of fans below him.
“Miraculously he was not seriously injured, largely owing to the fact that he eventually came to a stop on top of the shoulders of another supporter sitting a number of rows beneath him.
“This reckless behaviour could have been far worse, not least for those fans who were in the line of his fall. Fellow supporters were understandably shocked by what they witnessed and quickly alerted officers to what had happened.
“Flanagan is now paying the price for his reckless behaviour, and this ban prevents him from attending any football game in the country for three years.”
Dave Lewis, Everton’s Head of Security and Stadium Safety Officer, said: “The overwhelming majority of Evertonians behave impeccably on matchdays, but anyone responsible for violence or conduct that puts others at risk should expect to face the strongest possible action from both the Club and law enforcement authorities.”