Bealzebub,
Thank you for giving such a comprehensive reply. My aim was to seek information on the role of the captain and the procedures that should be followed. You have certainly provided that.
I'm aware that only my side of the story has been presented, and should I challenge at court then there will be another viewpoint to consider.
I appreciate the powers a captain may have at his disposal giving the right to dispose of passengers who may pose a threat to the flight. Had the captain consulted with ground staff he would then have been aware that the passenger making the complaint was the same person whom final departure had refused boarding. This I feel was completely overlooked, perhaps there were other pressures to consider, such as routine procedures that have to be followed prior to take off. I believe that rather than spend time dealing with this issue, the easier option was to eject football supporters so that the flight could carry on towards the destination at the scheduled time. Ground staff, with whom I spoke to the following day, confirmed the events and behaviour of the complaining passenger and agreed that they would be making a formal report of the incident.
Regarding the General conditions of carriage, the agreement to travel should be binding on both sides. I fully signed up to this at point of booking and as such, unless I breach those terms, which I fully complied with, then it is the airline that has broken the contract.
I fully agree safety is paramount, respecting the captains authority in all matters. With this position of authority comes responsibility, and this is where I feel let down. By not taking all accounts into consideration, for whatever reason, I believe the captain has been negligent when disposing such authority.
Regards
Billy