A bitter Rangers fan went on a sectarian rant in a Kirkcaldy pub the day after his side lost the Europa League Final.
“Diehard Rangers fan” William Gordon kicked off in The Fife Arms on Kirkcaldy’s St Clair Street, disturbing other patrons there.
The night before, Gordon had endured watching his team suffer an agonising defeat in Seville.
Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court heard evidence the barman at the pub that evening thought Gordon had still been out from the night before.
Anti-Irish remarks
Former pub employee Connor Ness said: “He’s a diehard Rangers fan and gets a bit emotional when they lose.
“I was led to believe he was out from the night before.
“He was calling people names, calling people fenians. He was drunk.”
She said at one point he said something to another drinker at the bar, known as Irish Mick.
“He called him an Irish fenian b*****d. I heard it, I was standing there.
“I asked him to stop it and just calm down.”
Mr Ness, 32, also said Gordon put a song on the jukebox which upset other drinkers.
“I’ve not heard it before but everybody wasn’t happy about it,” he added.
Mr Ness said the abusive behaviour was displayed by Gordon on an intermittent basis during a period of around half an hour.
Convicted
Sheriff Maryam Labaki said she found the barman’s evidence to be “compelling” and his candour “impressive.”
The sheriff said: “This is quite a live topic.”
After a trial, she found Gordon guilty of acting in an abusive manner by shouting, swearing and uttering sectarian remarks.
The sheriff added: “I do not have any doubt.
“I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt that what happened that night was just a sorry state of affairs and that alcohol had played a part.
“I’m going to trust you to show that this was an isolated incident.”
She deferred sentence for Gordon, of Kelso Place, Kirkcaldy, to be of good behaviour, and said if the 37-year-old could keep out of trouble until April 18, she would admonish him.
Defence solicitor Kieran Clegg said: “Mr Gordon is someone who is not regularly in trouble.”
Rangers lost the Europa League final on penalties to Eintracht Frankfurt in Seville.
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