A WINSFORD United player has been told to 'kiss goodbye to the rest of his season' after wounding a club-goer in a dancefloor skirmish.

David Short, 29, was caught on CCTV grabbing Joe Wedgbury around the neck and launching two uppercuts at him at Fever nightclub in Macclesfield on July 8 last year.

Chester Crown Court heard on Friday he had drunk 12 pints before the incident took place in the crowded venue.

Short was handed a 12-month prison term but Judge Steven Everett agreed to suspend the sentence for 18 months, saying: “I don’t think you are a lost cause."

However, the father-of-four was also ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work, abide by a nightly curfew and pay his victim £1,000 in compensation.

The judge told him: “You can kiss goodbye to the rest of the season as far as Winsford is concerned.”

Judge Everett said he was also unimpressed with Short’s previous conviction for possession of cocaine in 2017, given he was a football youth coach and role model.

Mike Stephenson, prosecuting, told the court that a dispute had taken place in the club which then escalated.

Mr Wedgbury had undergone laser eye surgery shortly before the attack took place.

The punches split open his right eyebrow, leaving a scar, and he did not yet know if the injury would have any impact on the long-term effectiveness of the procedure.

The victim had also been left around £600 out of pocket due to lost earnings.

Myles Wilson, defending, said his client was very remorseful about the incident and had pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding at the first opportunity.

“He let himself down on that night,” the barrister told the court.

Having been in trouble in his youth, he had now settled down and his last offence for violence was in 2009.

Short, who helps train youngsters and organises social events with the club, wrote to the court asking to be spared jail on account of his four children.

But Judge Everett told him: “You didn’t think about them when you were out downing 12 pints did you?”

As part of his suspended sentence, Short, of Flying Fields Drive, Macclesfield, must also undertake 25 days of rehabilitation activity and pay £200 in prosecution costs.