A FOOTBALL fan who tried to wake up Queens Park Rangers players at the Celtic Manor Hotel to spoil a big game was banned from matches for five years by magistrates.

Neil MacNamara, 39, (pictured)a former bodyguard of Cardiff City owner Sam Hammam, set off a hotel fire alarm at 2.39am on the morning QPR were facing Cardiff City in the division two play-off on May 25, Abergavenny magistrates heard yesterday.

MacNamara, of Parc-y-Nant, Nant Garw, Caerphilly, said he was staying at the luxurious Newport hotel for a romantic night with his partner and the incident was not football-related.

But magistrates did not believe him and banned him from all football matches in England and Wales for five years - the maximum ban possible.

MacNamara pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to criminal damage of the fire alarm and giving a false fire alarm, but he said the offences were caused by his frustration after a row with his partner.

The alarm failed to wake the QPR players, who were staying in a different wing. Cardiff won the game 1-0.

MacNamara said after the hearing that he was devastated by the ban, which also includes tournaments outside England and Wales, and he was now taking advice about an appeal.

The ban means that MacNamara, a lifelong supporter of Cardiff City and a season ticket holder, will miss their opening home game in the first division today against Bradford City.

He was also fined £500, and ordered to pay £400 compensation to the Celtic Manor and £100 towards prosecution costs.

His pregnant partner Samantha Evans said she booked the room for a romantic Saturday night.

But they had argued at a meal on the night and she returned to the hotel alone, she said.

MacNamara told the court that he had not known QPR were staying at the hotel and said he set the alarm off to try to get a refund because his evening was spoiled.

The court heard that MacNamara was banned from matches for a year by Blackpool magistrates in March 2000 for threatening behaviour.

A Crown Prosecution Service spokesman said: "The ban is a result of his deliberate attempt to either disrupt the preparation of the Queen's Park Rangers team, or enhance the chances of Cardiff City."