A Fife man has been banned from attending any football match in Scotland for a year.
Alexander Smith’s religiously offensive ranting was described as “entirely and utterly abhorrent” by a sheriff.
The 27-year-old admitted uttering religiously offensives phrases and comments in Kirk Wynd, Kirkcaldy, on September 1, and failing to stop when asked to do so.
Even though the offence did not take place in a football ground Sheriff Grant McCulloch slapped the ban on Smith.
He said behaviour like that demonstrated by Smith, of Bridge Street, Kirkcaldy, could lead to violence and needed to be “nipped in the bud”.
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He told Smith: “What you thought might have been a bit of fun is not. It is offensive and it is rude and inflammatory which could cause violence.
“You were asked to stop and you didn’t and that makes it worse.”
As well as the banning order, Sheriff McCulloch placed Smith on a community payback order and ordered him to undertake 150 hours of unpaid work.
He told Smith he hoped he would learn from the unpaid work and that he would be able to sort out his behaviour.
Solicitor Alan Davies said Smith had been under the influence of the alcohol at the time of the offence and regretted his actions.
