A WEST Ham United supporter who fled across a live track after being attacked on a train says he no longer sees his team play.

Ian Cutler, 41, and his 34-year-old friend Bernard Musau, who was visiting from Kenya, were travelling on a Charing Cross to Gillingham service after attending a match in London on July 31 last year.

As the train travelled between Swanscombe and Northfleet at around 11.50pm, the men were confronted by 23-year-old David O’Connell, who had been drinking.

After noticing they were wearing West Ham shirts he began shouting before violently assaulting them both.

When the train arrived at Gravesend Mr Cutler and Mr Musau fled the train across the live tracks to escape.

Mr Cutler, from Stroud in Gloucestershire, told News Shopper: "I have no idea why he attacked us.

"I haven't been up to West Ham since and I haven't been back to London. I certainly wouldn't travel on a late night train again."

The IT manager suffered a fractured eye socket and nose resulting in him losing his sense of smell in his left nostril and requiring two operations.

While Mr Musau, an electrician, suffered a broken nose.

Mr Cutler has given up his season ticket after more than nine years following the attack.

He said: "I miss going to see them play but I don't feel comfortable. It's a big disappointment that you can get attacked just for being a football supporter."

O’Connell, of no fixed address, was jailed for two years and eight months at Maidstone Crown Court on February 21 after pleading guilty to inflicting grievous bodily harm and actual bodily harm.

He was recalled on license to prison to serve the remainder of a three-and-a-half year jail sentence imposed in October 2009 for robbery.

Investigating officer for British Transport Police, Detective Constable Karl Goyns, said: "We welcome the sentence handed down to David O’Connell and hope it sends a clear message that this sort of wanton, reckless violence will not be tolerated by police or the courts."