A Chelsea fan who accused of stopping a black man getting onto a Paris Metro train says there was no “racist motive” and claimed the ‘victim’ was being the aggressor.

Richard Barklie allegedly shoved Souleymane Sylla amid chants of “John Terry is a racist and that’s the way we like it, ooh ooh ooh”.

The 50-year-old, from Carrickfergus in Northern Ireland, told Stratford Magistrates’ Court the train was “packed” and he only pushed Mr Sylla off because there was no room.

Another fan denied singing the John Terry chant, saying he had his mouth open because he was breathing.

Barklie, Josh Parsons, 20, Jordan Munday, 20, and William Simpson, 26, were all on a carriage when Mr Sylla was pushed off in an incident caught on camera. All four are contesting a football banning order brought by the Met Police.

Barklie, who served as an officer with the Royal Ulster Constabulary and is a director with the World Human Rights Forum, told the court: “Mr Sylla, and it’s my view, was the only one using aggression.

“From what I’ve seen and what I’ve viewed he was aggressively forcing himself into a space where there was none.”

Talking through video footage played in court, which shows him force My Sylla off the train, he said he put his hands up to protect himself.

He said: “I think he had tried to get on first and then he tried to get on again, but by that stage he was shouting.

“It’s not clear here but I’ve seen other footage and it’s more clear he was shouting and there was spray coming from his mouth.

“I did push him, I put my hands up to stop him getting into the space where I was standing. From my perception, there were others behind me trying to get towards Mr Sylla and I felt myself getting pushed forward by the momentum.”

Asked by his defence barrister Nick Scott if “there was any issue in relation to the colour of his skin”, Barklie said: “None whatsoever.”

He added: “I think he was remonstrating that there was room in the carriage. But it was packed and there was no room for him.”

Munday denied chanting “we’re racist we’re racist and that’s the way we like it” as the black man was shoved off a crowded train.

Footage of the incident before a Champions League game against PSG in February appeared to show Munday’s mouth opening and closing as the song is heard.

But he told the court: “I was breathing. I’ve got to breathe haven’t I?”

Asked about the “we’re racist” chant, Munday said: “It’s not very nice”, and maintained he had not joined in.

William Simpson said in a statement he was at the front of the carriage but had been unable to move in when Mr Sylla approached because the train was too full.

“He tried to enter but the people behind prevented me from stepping back into the carriage,” he said. “As he tried to pushed into me I pushed back.”

The hearing continues.