The fan who confronted Rio Ferdinand at the end of the Manchester derby has been banned from attending football matches for three years.
Manchester City fan Matthew Stott, 21, was told he came close to going to prison, but instead his 56-day jail term was suspended for 12 months.
Stott had to be restrained by City keeper Joe Hart from confronting Ferdinand, who was bleeding from a cut caused by a coin thrown from the stands.
Ferdinand had been celebrating Robin van Persie's late winner for United at City's Etihad Stadium when tempers boiled over.
TV footage of the incident was played at Manchester Magistrates Court showing Stott, who had drunk eight pints of lager before kick-off, trying to confront Ferdinand.
Stott, a landscape gardener of Southfields, Knutsford, pleaded guilty to encroaching on the field of play and using insulting words or behaviour.
As well as the football ban and suspended jail sentence, he was ordered to do 120 hours community service, must pay ?145 in costs and observe an 8pm to 6am home curfew for three months.
District Judge Richardson said: "He chose to attack somebody on a football pitch. But for the timely and appropriate intervention of the City goalkeeper the situation would have been a lot worse and could have triggered a serious incident of disorder."
Rebecca Caulfield, defending Stott, said her client could now not remember what he had done.
She added: "He's lost his job, he's received death threats and his family has suffered intimidation by members of the public, in person, by telephone, camping outside his father's flat, and threats on Facebook."
Stott issued an apology through his solicitor the day after the match saying he was "extremely ashamed" of his actions.
Deeney has been in superb form for Watford, netting eight goals in ten games to inspire the club's bid for promotion to the Premier League.
The 24-year-old's hot streak in front of goal has not gone unnoticed with several Premier League and Championship sides keeping tabs on his situation.
Aston Villa are thought to be monitoring Deeney with Paul Lambert keen to bolster his attacking options in this month's transfer window.
Deeney's current deal expires at the end of the season and the club are keen to tie him down to a new long-term contract to secure his future.
A number of clubs are expected to watch Deeney in action during Watford's FA Cup clash with Manchester City as they weigh up moves for the former Walsall man.
