A supporter who assaulted a steward at Links Park stadium in Montrose has been handed a year-long football ban.
Drunken Matthew Measor jumped the turnstiles and clashed with staff during the fracas at the Angus ground.
The 25-year-old, who was there to support his team Queen of the South, believes his drink may have been spiked.
Measor, from Dumfries, appeared at Forfar Sheriff Court and admitted assaulting steward Cameron Keith by pushing him on May 5.
Prosecutors accepted his not guilty plea to a breach of the peace charge.
Access denied
Fiscal depute Bill Kermode said: “This took place during a regulated football match between Montrose and Queen of the South.
“At 3pm, stewards at Links Park were on duty at the away end of the ground.
“They saw a group of about six or seven away supporters approaching.
“One was drinking and the others were clearly intoxicated.”
The prosecutor said: “The stewards decided that none of the group should be permitted entry to the stadium.
“The accused didn’t like what he was hearing, so began shouting and remonstrating but the stewards’ opinion was not to be swayed.”
He said: “The group were ushered out of the stadium.
“The accused was lost to sight for a short period but was then seen to jump a wall back into the turnstiles area.
“He was spotted by stewards and ran off, jumping the turnstile into the stadium.
“After a short period, staff caught up with him and ushered him back out again.
“He continued to shout and behave aggressively, saying that the stewards ‘cannot touch me’.
“As he was taken back to the gate, he pushed one of the stewards before heading off towards the exit.”
Measor left the ground but was later traced by police.
Drink was ‘tampered with’
Solicitor Sarah Russo, defending, said: “He accepts that this behaviour was fully unacceptable.
“He was in Montrose on this day to meet up with friends to celebrate a birthday.
“The plan was to go out together before going to the football.
“But he tells me that at some point he lost contact with his friends.
“He suspects that one of his drinks may have been tampered with but he is not insisting on that as a defence.”
Ms Russo said: “He advises that he went back to the football ground to look for his friends and he took umbrage that he wasn’t getting entry.
“Mr Measor did go back to the stewards and apologised to them.”
She said her client is training to become a barber.
Sheriff Donald Ferguson told Measor: “It’s a bit unfortunate that there are troublemakers at this kind of football game.
“This was totally inappropriate and behaviour like this is always frowned upon.”
Measor, of Goldie Avenue, Dumfries, was fined £235.
He was banned from attending any UK football matches for the next year.
For more local court content visit our page or join us on Facebook.
