Ten soccer thugs have been jailed for a total of 21 years for smashing up a Brighton pub as they battled with rivals from another team.

Brighton and Hove Albion has also banned them for life from any of the club's matches.

They are also barred from going to all league matches and from being at England games at home or abroad for between seven and ten years.

The ten must stay out of Brighton city centre on Albion match days and will be barred from the Seagulls' new stadium at Falmer when it is built.

Paul Grealish, 31, of Rutland Road, Hove, a plumber was jailed for three years and banned from football matches for ten years.

Ben Ripley, 34, of Walker Close, Eastbourne, was jailed for two-and-a-half years and banned from football games for seven years.

Joseph Phillips, 47, of Springfield Road, Brighton, was jailed for two-and-a-half years and banned from football matches for seven years.

John Mack, 49, of Walmer Crescent, Brighton, a former pub landlord, was jailed for three years and banned from going to matches for seven years.

David Hammond, 39, of Merevale Road, Brighton, was jailed for two years and banned from football matches for seven years.

Darren Gahan, 39, of Kings Mews, Hove, was jailed for two years and banned from football matches for seven years.

Richard Jeffrey, 28, of Valley Drive, Brighton, was jailed for 18 months and banned from football matches for seven years.

Lawrence Edwards, 21, of Loder Road, Brighton, was jailed for 18 months and banned from football grounds for seven years.

Sami Abulbashar, 20, of Stonery Road, Portslade, was jailed for 18 months and banned from football grounds for seven years.

Michael Bates, 38, of Havelock Road, Brighton, was jailed for 15 months and banned from football matches for seven years.

Judge Anthony Niblett, sentencing them at Hove Crown Court yesterday, said: "None of these defendants should be dignified with the name of football supporters of Brighton and Hove Albion or any other team.

"They used the game as an outlet for their own violent tendencies.

"In my view, all of these defendants were out that night looking for trouble."

All ten took part in violent clashes with Leeds supporters outside The Pump House pub in The Lanes, Brighton, in October last year.

They left the nearby Sussex Tavern together and moments later were involved in the sickening scenes of violence which caused £6,000 of damage to the Pump House.

Terrified witnesses told how they shook in fear as chairs, tables and signs were hurled through the pub's windows.

Marcus Fletcher, prosecuting, described the incident as football hooliganism at its worst.

Albion chief executive Martin Perry and Sussex Police welcomed the sentences as an example that football hooliganism will not be tolerated.

Mr Perry said: "These men have proved by their actions they are not supporters of the Albion.

"Indeed, we have no record of the majority of those involved having ever been to a match at Withdean.

"We totally abhor any sort of violent or antisocial behaviour at any of our matches. Indeed, we have eradicated it entirely at Withdean.

"These are not Albion fans. They are people who have used the name of the club and the occasion to perpetrate violence for their own gratification.

"We utterly condemn their actions and congratulate Sussex Police on their successful prosecution."

Brighton's new police chief Divisional Commander Jeremy Paine said: "What we saw was violence in the extreme, threatening our city centre and innocent members of the public, including families.

"There was some evidence this was pre-planned.

"This was a small minority of supposed football fans behaving in a mindless, inhuman way and hell-bent on provoking a confrontation.

"It was very frightening for those who were the targets.

"We will not tolerate such behaviour and yet again it shows the impact of excessive drinking. It has got to stop."

Sussex Police football liaison officer Darren Balkham said it was a myth that those involved in soccer violence were young.

He said: "They may start as young supporters but they do grow older.

"We tend to find older supporters come out for the bigger games but it is unusual for them to be involved in trouble.

"We have officers who go to every game with the Albion, home and away.

"We get to know the regular supporters and speak to them on a first-name basis.

"This inquiry is not closed because there are a number of people on the CCTV footage who have not been arrested. We are still looking for them."