Dundee FC star Paul McGowan faces a potential jail term after admitting
spitting on a nightclub bouncer on a team night out.
At Dundee Sheriff Court on Thursday, the 30-year-old first-team regular pleaded guilty to assaulting Andrew MacLaughlan, an Underground nightclub doorman, on May 14 at around 2am.
The attack occurred shortly after the former Celtic signing attended the club’s player-of-the-year celebrations with his Dens Park team-mates.
Some of the Premiership side’s players had visited the popular South Tay Street nightspot to continue celebrations but the night turned sour when McGowan ended up in a confrontation with door staff.
It is believed he was then arrested and taken into police custody before later being charged.
It comes three years after the midfielder admitted threatening to kill two police officers after “charging toward them” outside a house in Airdrie.
He avoided a jail term that time but was ordered to wear an electronic tag for 16 weeks, restricting him to his home between the hours of 7pm and 7am.
The 2015 assault was his third such conviction for assaulting a police officer.
In 2013 he was sentenced to 130 hours of unpaid work and handed a one-year supervision order for kicking two police officers.
He was also convicted of assault for a 2013 attack and also for assault on a policeman in 2010, both while playing for St Mirren.
Speaking in 2016, the North Lanarkshire-born star spoke of his “shame” over his past and said he wanted to repay Dundee FC for the “faith they’ve shown in me”.
He also said he acknowledged he had “no more chances”.
The midfielder refused to speak when approached outside the Bell Street court on Thursday, while a spokesperson for Dundee FC also declined to comment.
McGowan, who has also played for Hamilton Academicals as well as the Paisley Buddies, was signed by former Dens Park manager Paul Hartley in 2014.
He has made 130 appearances for the Dark Blues and has scored six goals.
McGowan, of Kelvin Drive, Airdrie, was granted conditional bail by Sheriff John Rafferty.
He will be sentenced on Monday July 16 – just two days after his team starts its Betfred Cup campaign away to Stirling Albion.
