Four Italian football supporters appeared at Manchester City Magistrates Court after being charged in connection with violent clashes at Old Trafford on the night of United's spectacular Champions League win against Roma.
All missed seeing the game which they had travelled thousands of miles to watch, and missed their flights home after spending a night in police cells.
Three of them were freed after pleading guilty to public order offences, but one 27-year old man is to go to trial after pleading not guilty to a charge of suspicion of possession of a knife.
Deputy District Judge Huw Edwards who heard all four cases, said he did not consider football banning orders, as he took the view that they were impractical.
Roma fan Alessio Sciarra 27, who denies a charge of being in possession of a knife at the match, was given bail allowing him to return home to
Solicitor Mike Brunskill who is representing the administrative worker, said afterwards: "He denies the allegation completely, and says it is a case of mistaken identity."
A 19-year old fan who is studying economics at the
Mark Holmes, prosecuting, said that Andrea Spinelli had been with a group of Italian fans who began to run at police close to the players' tunnel in an incident which happened more than two hours before kick-off.
He said the teenager had the umbrella in his hand, and as the group got close to the officers, he struck out at one of them, hitting him on his hand and his body armour.
The officer grabbed him with some force in a bid to restrain him, and Mr Spinelli then attempted to strike him again with the brolly.
Mr Spinelli pleaded guilty to a public order offence and said via an interpreter that he was ashamed of his behaviour, but added that he had not deliberately intended to strike the police officer or cause him any physical injury.
The court was told that he had saved for months to make the trip, and ended up not seeing the match because he was arrested beforehand.
Judge Edwards told him: "You have indicated that you want to apologise for your conduct, but whether you intended to strike the officer or not, your conduct was disgraceful."
He said he was taking the 'exceptional course' of imposing a conditional discharge only because of the circumstances, and the fact that he had already spent a night in police cells.
Web designer Luis Gomez De Teran 26, was also given a conditional discharge by the court after pleading guilty to two charges: one of a public order offence, and another of being in possession of a craft knife.
The court was told that he too, had been holding an umbrella, and been part of a group that charged police officers outside the ground before the game.
He had no chance to strike, because an officer grabbed him first, and he was arrested. When searched he was found to be carrying a craft knife.
The court was told he had bought the knife in the city centre before the game, and had used it to trim a flag he had with him. He had then simply pocketed the knife and forgotten about it.
Karen Rolls, defending, said he had never intended to use it as a weapon, and got caught up in the heat of the moment when the incident outside the ground happened.
The Judge told him: "I must stress that people who carry knives in this country are regarded as committing serious offences, but I accept what you have said about the circumstances, in particular that there was no malicious intent at all.".
Barman Oscar Lanciani, 21, was bound over in the sum of £100 to keep the peace for twelve months, after pleading guilty to a public order offence.
The court was told that he had been watching the match inside the ground, when he acted aggressively towards a police officer and refused to move on five occasions when asked to do so. He told the officer: "I don't care, you can arrest me", and then began to run at him.
The Judge said: "I am aware that you regret your conduct and that you are a man with no previous convictions, and I am also aware that you missed the game and spent the night in police cells."