THE author of a book which led to a football hooligan facing a landmark ban last night told The Northern Echo: "I fear I'll be next."

But John Pulling insisted he would fight any moves by police to stop him watching his beloved Middlesbrough or England.

Mr Pulling, 45, wrote a detailed account of his time as part of The Frontline hooligan gang, which travelled the country fighting for Boro in the 1970s and 1980s.

It was published last year but was yesterday used in court when police won a milestone ruling to ban notorious yob Lee "Oathead" Owens from matches for three years.

Employment advisor Mr Pulling, a father-of-three grown-up children, who lives in Dormanstown, east Cleveland, said he had not been involved in football violence for nearly a decade.

The former welding technician almost lost a leg in a works accident in 1996 and said that brought an end of his time with The Frontline, when he became housebound.

Last night, he said: "In the book I freely admit what I did years ago and what I saw, but I also freely admit that I don't get involved any more.

"I have been disabled for almost eight years. Since then I have not been capable of rampaging up and down the road, but even before that I had eased off.

"I now do a respectable job and I am a respectable person working with disadvantaged people, so I would have to fight any move to have me banned.

"I find it amazing that they have used my book when the names of those involved were changed and it was so long ago, but if they are, then they might think 'let's go for the author too'.

"They are trying to ban people who are potential hooligans and I just hope they don't put me into that category because I have kept out of trouble for a long, long time."

Detective Sergeant Ian Fawcett, who gave evidence against Owens yesterday, detailed violent disturbances dating back to June 2000 when the lout had to be deported in shame from Belgium.

Others involved running battles with police at games against Tottenham, Hull, Wigan and Fulham, where officers in riot gear were called in to contain the violence.

Owens was also spotted by police intelligence officers among rioting fans at the England versus Turkey game at Sunderland's Stadium of Light last April, and hurled abuse at an off-duty officer who went to Cardiff to watch Boro take on Bolton in the Carling Cup Final in February.

A Cleveland Police source said last night: "It's ironic that a book which glorifies violence and horrendous acts of thuggery has brought about the banning of a notorious hooligan."