A CHEEKY football fan is facing charges after running semi-naked on to the pitch during a Huddersfield Town match.
Jamie Kanitschew, 29, stopped play when he ran on to the pitch during Town’s clash against Oldham at the Galpharm Stadium on Saturday.
Wearing just his white boxer shorts, he performed a Cossack dance before being led away by stewards.
He was arrested and will appear at Huddersfield Magistrates’ Court on October 26, charged with invading a playing area at a football match without authority, under the Football Offences Act 1991.
But Jamie – who has a law degree and masters in business administration from Huddersfield University – says action against him is a waste of time.
He said: “I don’t think it needs to go to court. It is a waste of police time and public money.”
Jamie, who was at the police station for two and a half hours, claims he was held for too long when police time could have been used to deal with more important incidents.
He said: “They didn’t need to keep me there so long. The station was busy and they had me in a cell they could have used. I think the system is wrong.”
Jamie said he had not thought that the streaking attempt would land him in trouble.
“I didn’t realise the seriousness of the offence because I thought if I kept some clothing on I would not be in trouble. Now I know it was wrong – if I had known the seriousness I would not have done it.”
A spokeswoman for West Yorkshire Police said Jamie was booked in to Huddersfield Police Station at 4.35pm on October 20.
She said the normal procedure of taking fingerprints, photographs and processing paperwork was observed and he was released at 7.06pm.
She added: “When someone is arrested in connection with a public order offence, police will keep that person in custody until there is no likelihood of a further breach of the peace taking place.”
After the final whistle, there were sporadic outbursts of trouble in Huddersfield, leading to 10 arrests for public order offences.
