A drunken football supporter launched an attack on an innocent man and wife after seeing his team relegated from the Premiership.

West Ham fan Mark Walker, 31, of Moyne Close, Hove, was jailed for two years for the attack on Malcolm and Lynda Moore on May 11 last year.

Chichester Crown Court yesterday heard how Mr Moore had been out celebrating his birthday in Shoreham with his wife and ten-year-old son when the couple were confronted by Walker and his brother Richard.

Mark Walker had drunk a bottle of whisky and had reacted badly to seeing his team lose, the court heard.

Warwick Tatford, prosecuting, said: "Both brothers had been to a football match between Birmingham City and West Ham. Both are West Ham fans and their reaction was related to them being relegated.

"Both had been drinking heavily.

"In the late afternoon, they came across Mr and Mrs Moore in Shoreham.

"Mark Walker attacked Mr Moore and hit him full in the face with a clenched fist, causing him to fall to the ground.

"Lynda Moore tried to help and Mark Walker punched her.

"The blow knocked her against a parked car.

"The Moores were concerned about their son who had gone off to a takeaway restaurant - they did not know where he was.

"Mark Walker ran towards Mr Moore with a rock in one hand and a metal bar in the other. He threw the rock but missed then set about Mr Moore with the metal bar.

"He knocked him to the ground then beat him with the bar over various parts of his body. On the ground, he was unable to defend himself.

"Richard Walker was not involved in this.

"Both brothers left Mr Moore in Ship Street, lying semi-conscious, and his wife obviously upset."

After the attacks, police searched for the suspects and stopped the brothers after noticing Mark Walker's knuckle was bleeding.

As they questioned the brothers, a witness, Timothy Wall, went over to confirm Mark Walker was behind the attack.

However, Richard Walker, 24, also of Moyne Close, stepped in and threw several punches at Mr Wall, the court heard.

Mark Walker joined in and the officers were forced to subdue them with Captor spray after the brothers threatened to kill them.

The older brother spat at a policewoman as he was arrested.

All the victims suffered bruising. Mr Moore also had a broken rib from receiving the brunt of Mark Walker's rampage.

Mark Walker pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm, possessing an offensive weapon, common assault and affray. His brother admitted affray.

Sarah Early, defending Mark Walker, said her client's eldest child had been diagnosed as autistic and that led him to drinking the whisky.

She said the Moores had also been drinking alcohol and may have approached the brothers first because they were arguing.

Nicola Hatcher, defending Richard Walker, said the recent birth of his child had been marred by the threat of jail and he deeply regretted the offence.

Judge Anthony Thorpe said Mark Walker, who has two children, was "fighting drunk".

The judge said: "This was a disgraceful performance with these attacks on innocent members of the public. Spitting in the face of a young PC is quite abhorrent."

Richard Walker was jailed for 18 months.