Rangers fan banned after shouting sectarian slogan at match

A Rangers fan who shouted a sectarian slogan at a football match has been banned from attending all games in Scotland.

Brian Gilmour was found guilty of shouting "F*** the Pope" during a Rangers game against Dunfermline earlier this year.

The 21-year-old shouted the sectarian remark after parts of the support had been singing The Sash as the Ibrox side went 2-0 up through a Maurice Edu goals in the 20th minute.

Stewards at the game at East End Park on September 24 had been watching Gilmour as he sat in a group of three near the front of the stand which housed more than 6000 away fans.

Rangers safety steward, Kenneth Smyth, 59, told Dunfermline Sheriff Court on Tuesday that he had been watching Gilmour as he shouted out the remark.

Mr Smyth said: "If the fans cause a problem we can stop it, if you can nip it in the bud before it starts it can help. There were certain songs being sung, but things got added to them at the end, and that's what we are concerned about.
"If they add bits on we have no choice but to take action. My colleague and I were standing on the track just in front of the away section. There were three young lads at the front singing The Sash.

"At the end of the song he shouted 'F*** the Pope.' He was distinctive due to his bright top and I was about 20ft away. What he said was very, very clear and it was quite loud. Everyone else about him left it out apart from the young lad who added the bit on, but there wasn't much reaction from around him."

My Smyth then contacted his senior supervisor before going into the crowd to get Gilmour out and take him to the police.

During cross examination from defence agent Alistair Macleod, Mr Smyth said that it could not have been anyone else that shouted the comment. He added: "I have been doing the job for four years and I'm half decent at doing it, otherwise Rangers wouldn't still employ me, and I'm 100% convinced that he said it. It's the name of the club that is being bought down."

Gilmour, from East Kilbride, denied sectarian breach of the peace and claimed that had he actually shouted: "Here we go Rangers, four in a row."

He told depute fiscal Tracey Plant, prosecuting: "I definitely did not shout that. I'm not saying they didn't hear that, I'm just saying they have got the wrong person."

Sheriff Craig McSherry found Gilmour guilty. He said: "I have no reason to disbelieve the steward. They are there on behalf of Glasgow Rangers. They were there to prevent and avoid the sectarian chanting we hear all to often.

"In a football crowd there is a real danger of a comment causing public safety concerns."

He deferred sentence until February for social background and criminal justice reports, and a restriction of liberty order assessment.

Gilmour was banned from any SPL, Scottish Football League, or Scottish national team games until sentencing.

Sectarian Rangers fans banned by Uefa

UEFA have imposed a two-match away ban on Rangers fans after the club were found guilty of charges relating to discriminatory behaviour by their supporters.

The Scottish champions were also fined 40,000 euro (£35,558) by UEFA's control and disciplinary body as a result of the actions of fans at the away leg of the Europa League tie against PSV Eindhoven.

Rangers were also fined the same amount and ordered to play their next home UEFA match behind closed doors for the same offence in the home leg, although that sanction was also deferred for a probationary period of three years.