THE CRIMINAL case against a football fan who ended up on the pitch during an AFC Bournemouth Premier League game has been dropped.

Zack Weir was charged after he ended up on the field of play during celebrations of Manchester City star Raheem Sterling’s late goal back in August.

The 20-year-old supporter from Bolton was charged with going onto the playing area during a designated football match without lawful authority or excuse at Vitality Stadium.

However after pleading not guilty, the Crown Prosecution Service case against Mr Weir was dismissed after no evidence was offered at Poole Magistrates Court on Wednesday. Mr Weir said despite it taking six months he was pleased with the outcome.

“This has been consistently in my mind and background for six months so it was a relief for the matter to close,” he said.

“Before I travelled down I was confident because the CCTV was pretty clear. You go to football and live sport for the moments like that goal and that treatment shouldn’t happen.”

Mr Weir has been a Manchester City season ticket holder for 16 years.

His parents were watching the game on television having travelled back from Portugal and saw their son, who is an international business student at Manchester Metropolitan University, get escorted away.

“Bournemouth as a club is great and going down there every time has been really enjoyable. This hasn’t dented my impression of the club,” Mr Weir added.

“I don’t associate the incident with the place or football club, but fundamentally if you go to sport that treatment shouldn’t happen.

“I’m not bitter to police because they have a difficult job and have to go through a process, but when everyone was able to sit down together and look at the evidence it was proved I hadn’t done anything wrong.”

The incident in which Mr Weir ended up on the pitch was put in the spotlight after a steward alleged they had been assaulted by Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero.

Hours after the match AFC Bournemouth released a statement that said the club had been advised that there had been a misunderstanding and the steward had dropped the allegation.

The Argentinian confronted police on the pitch and appeared to show concerns for Mr Weir’s wellbeing.

“The players are all trained and told how to behave,” Mr Weir said.

“For him to get involved for as long and as passionately as he did shows he agreed something was going badly wrong with the situation towards me. He’s been my hero for a long time but now he’s one for a different reason.”

n The court case into a second Manchester City fan who was also charged is ongoing.