Ten soccer thugs brought terror to a city centre as they clashed with rival fans, a court heard.

Chairs and tables were hurled through a pub window as Brighton and Hove Albion fans battled Leeds supporters.

Witnesses and staff cowered in fear as missiles were hurled into The Pump House in Market Street, Brighton.

The violence erupted four hours after the Albion beat Leeds 1-0 at Withdean on October 23, last year.

Marcus Fletcher, prosecuting, said: "This was football hooliganism at its worst. Members of the public enjoying a Saturday night were forced to take refuge at the rear of the pub.

"All of those who witnessed the level of violence involved were left shocked and terrified."

Alison Fuller, who saw what happened, told police: "I was shaking. My legs turned to jelly, I was so scared."

Mr Fletcher said: "A number of people dialled 999 to get help. Those calls were recorded.

"They provide a compelling insight into the fear an incident like this provokes in those inadvertently caught up in it."

Street security cameras recorded what happened as Brighton fans attacked their rivals with broken furniture.

The sickening violence included punches being thrown at Leeds fans who retaliated by hurling chairs back at the Albion supporters.

A photographer with the Brighton supporters took "trophy" pictures of the violence, Hove Crown Court heard yesterday.

They were later used with the CCTV footage to help identify some of those involved in the clashes.

Police football intelligence officers Nicholas Dimmer and Darren Balkham recognised eight of the men. Two more were arrested after their photographs were published in The Argus, the court heard.

Joseph Phillips, 47, of Springfield Road, Brighton; Lawrence Edwards, 21, of Loder Road, Brighton; Paul Grealish, 31, of Rutland Gardens, Hove; David Hammond, 39, of Merevale Road, Brighton; Darren Gahan, 39, of Kings Mews, Hove; Michael Bates, 38, of Havelock Road, Brighton; Richard Jeffrey, of Valley Drive, Brighton; and Ben Ripley, 34, of Walker Close, Eastbourne, all admitted violent disorder.

John Mack, a former pub landlord, of Walmer Crescent, Brighton, was found guilty by a majority verdict of 10-2 at his trial in September.

Sami Abulbashar, 20, of Stonery Road, Portslade, faced a retrial after the same jury was unable to reach a verdict.

However, he later changed his plea to guilty, admitting he was present but denied that he had taken part in the violence.

Gahan was arrested after a friend of his former girlfriend recognised his picture in The Argus.

Bates gave himself up and identified himself to police as one of those involved in pictures of the violence published in The Argus.

All ten have been warned they face jail and football banning orders of up to ten years at the end of a two-day hearing today.

The court heard that Grealish has already been banned from football matches twice.

He received a six-month ban for threatening behaviour when Albion played away at Hereford United when they had to win to avoid relegation in 1997.

He received a three-year ban after facing an identical charge when the club played Shrewsbury in 2001.

That ban ended just 24 hours before he took part in the violence outside The Pump House.

Grealish is seen hitting a Leeds fan over the head five times with a chair outside the pub. He also punched the same man five times before trying to smash the pub window with a chair. Philips threw a chair and then used a broken metal chair leg to hit a Leeds fan over the head three times.

Mr Fletcher said: "The Crown says he that used the weapon in a determined and ferocious attack."

Ripley threw a chair and then helped Grealish attack a rival supporter with another chair before throwing it through the pub window.

Edwards picked up a chair and is seen throwing a punch at a Leeds fan which missed. He also threw a piece of wood at the Leeds fans.

Hammond pushed in the pub's window before throwing chairs, one of which went through the window.

Gahan threw an advertising sign and chair at the Leeds group and then picked up and threw a metal bar at them.

Jeffrey and Bates threw a chair each while Abulbashar was seen holding a chair. Mack was standing at the pub door in the thick of the action.

Richard Cherill, defending Edwards, said: "He is fully conscious of the harm, fear and outrage this will have caused in the minds of onlookers.

"However, he is a decent, quiet and peaceful young man who, goodness knows why, behaved in a way which was wholly uncharacteristic and which will never be repeated."

The case continues.