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Leeds fan who fell from top tier at Chelsea is hooligan jailed for punching Chris Kirkland

It has emerged that the Leeds supporter who fell from the top tier of a stand at Chelsea is a hooligan who was locked up by attacking a former Liverpool and England goalkeeper

The Leeds fan receives treatment after falling from the top tier of a stand at Stamford Bridge
The Leeds fan receives treatment after falling from the top tier of a stand at Stamford Bridge(Image: AP)

The Leeds fan who fell from the top tier of a stand at Stamford Bridge is an infamous hooligan once locked up for punching former England goalkeeper Chris Kirkland.

The supporter received medical attention and was taken to hospital after falling as he celebrated a goal in the Shed End during Leeds’ FA Cup fifth round defeat to Chelsea. It has now emerged the fan in question is Aaron Cawley, 33, according to the Daily Mail.


Cawley was jailed for four months and given a six-year football banning order for entertaining the pitch and attacking then-Sheffield Wednesday keeper Kirkland during a televised Championship match in 2012. He pleaded guilty to assault and was also ordered to pay £85 in court costs.


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Paul Macaulay, prosecuting the case, said Cawley told police he was so drunk he could not remember the incident. Cawley’s banning order for attacking the ex-Liverpool star was lifted in 2016 after he successfully appealed it, although he remains barred from attending Leeds matches, reports the Mail.

Despite his ban, Cawley was spotted celebrating at a Leeds game in 2016. He had previously been banned from attending matches for three years when he was 16 for violent disorder.

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Aaron Cawley attacked Chris Kirkland during a televised match between Leeds and Sheffield Wednesday
Aaron Cawley attacked Chris Kirkland during a televised match between Leeds and Sheffield Wednesday

Then-Sheffield Wednesday keeper after being struck by Aaron Cawley during a Championship game in 2012
Then-Sheffield Wednesday keeper Chris Kirkland after being struck by Aaron Cawley during a Championship game in 2012(Image: PA Images/Alamy Stock Photo)

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Leeds, who were backed by more than 5,000 fans at Stamford Bridge, said they could not confirm the name of the fan who fell due to patient confidentiality.

The club issued a statement following the incident, which read: “Leeds United can confirm an incident involving a Leeds United supporter occurred in the Shed End of Stamford Bridge during the first half of tonight’s FA Cup game. The incident is being investigated and is in the hands of the emergency services.”

The Leeds fan was spotted falling as fans celebrated a goal
The Leeds fan was spotted falling as fans celebrated a goal(Image: @yesfella3)

The game continued as the fan was attended to
The game continued as the fan received medical attention (Image: Getty Images)

A spokesperson for the London Ambulance Service confirmed: "Shortly before 8pm on Wednesday 28th February, we received reports that a person had fallen from a height at Chelsea football club in Fulham Road.

“Alongside colleagues from St John Ambulance and doctors from the club, an ambulance crew on scene treated a man before taking him to a London Major trauma centre."

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Chelsea, who issued an identical statement, won the game 3-2 with Conor Gallagher’s last-minute goal handing the Blues a quarter-final at home to Leicester on the weekend of March 16-17.

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