Football Thug Kills Rival With Fatal Blow

A Sunday league football thug who killed an opponent with a single punch, following a bed-tempered match, was locked-up for twenty-eight months today (Monday).

The post-match brawl kicked off after the final whistle was blown on Kingshill Town's 4-3 defeat by Old Greenfordians in the Hayes and District Sunday Football League Division One match.

Victim Stephen Ritchie,43, (pictured with grandaughter Isabella) had been sent off for shoving an opponent and the Brentford father-of-three was tragically killed by a single blow from behind delivered with such force his head twisted round, rupturing arteries.

Thug Darren Forwood,21, of Frays Avenue, West Drayton pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey to manslaughter at Little Harlington playing fields, Sipson Lane, Hayes, Midlesex on November 30, last year.

Prosecutor Mr Timothy Cray told the hearing, attended by Mr Ritchie's partner Tracie, his mother, daughter and brother, that the victim was "utterly defenceless' to the violent blow delivered by booked Forwood who has previous for assault and affray.

Tempers flared as Kingshill Town, 3-0 up at half-time, crashed to a 4-3 defeat at the hands of Old Greenfordians - with Mr Ritchie singled out by some angry opponents as the reason for their loss.

"Some of the players from both teams were trying to form a physical barrier but this defendant Darren Forwood came round the back of the barrier," explained Mr Cray.

"He came up behind the victim and Mr Ritchie who couldn’t have sighted him was utterly defenceless as the blow was given. The blow was delivered with sufficient force to knock Mr Ritchie off his feet."

Judge Jeremy Roberts told Forwood : "This arose out of a football match which had degenerated into aggression and violence on both sides, which spilled over from the pitch and off the pitch.

"There is too much of this kind of violence around at the moment and it has to be made clear that people who behave in that way will receive severe sentences.

"These cases are always tragedies for everybody on both sides. You have ruined not just somebody else's life by what you have done, but you have also seriously damaged your own and your family's. We see this all too often here - mindless violence."