A football fan beat up a teenager in the toilets at a Manchester United game ‘to defend the honour of his son’ after a bizarre row.

Christopher Glennon, 43, had asked his son to watch his drink while he went to the toilet at half-time of a Premier League game.

But Glennon took offence to an innocent mix-up, after a stranger nearby with a similar name believed he was being spoken to.

Manchester Crown Court heard the dispute initially went no further but that Glennon later beat his victim up in the toilets, leaving him with a bloodied nose and causing ‘long term trauma’.

“There’s not much to be proud of there, is there?,” Judge Paul Lawton told Glennon, adding that the defendant had done so to ‘defend the honour of his son’.

“Beating a teenager in a public toilet at Old Trafford. You weren’t in the arena of a Gladiator, you were watching a football match at Old Trafford.”

Prosecuting, Hannah Forsyth said that the incident happened at United’s game against Brighton on February 15, 2022, which the Reds won 2-0. Glennon had attended the match with his son.

Oliver Jackson, then 18, was there with a friend. They had all gone to the concourse at half time. Glennon approached and said: “Jacko, can you watch my drink?”

Mr Jackson thought Glennon had been talking to him, but the court heard that it was a nickname which the defendant called his son.

Believing he was being spoken to, Mr Jackson replied ‘yeah’. Glennon became ‘angry’ and said ‘don’t talk to my son like that’.

Both went their separate ways to watch the second half. But about ten minutes before full time, Mr Jackson returned to the concourse to use the toilet.

He went into a cubicle and after leaving found Glennon there. “What did you say to my son?,” Glennon said.

Glennon then moved forward and punched Mr Jackson to the head, causing him to stumble. He then continued punching him ‘multiple times’ as Mr Jackson shouted at him to stop. Glennon left and Mr Jackson suffered a bloodied nose. He reported the incident to a steward and Glennon was arrested.

He claimed to police that Mr Jackson had been ‘rude and abusive’ towards him, and that he was acting in self-defence after being attacked.

In a statement read to the court, Mr Jackson said the attack has had a ‘long lasting and devastating’ impact. He suffers anxiety about using public toilets, and is careful about what he drinks to avoid having to use them.

“It has affected his sense of safety and quality of life,” Ms Forsyth said.

Glennon’s lawyer said the defendant wants to apologise to his victim, adding that it was a ‘matter of shame’ to be before the court for the first time.

The judge said that jailing Glennon would impact on his son, who he cares for. Glennon, of Giants Seat Grove, Salford, was sentenced to five months in prison, suspended for 18 months, after pleading guilty to common assault. He was ordered to complete 180 hours of unpaid work.