A former Dunfermline Athletic footballer found guilty of sending threatening tweets to a referee said he wants to put the incident behind him.
Ex-Pars, Berwick Rangers and East Fife player Gary Greenhill, 28, was convicted of making the remarks online after he was sent off during a top-of-the-table clash between Kinnoull and Kirkcaldy in the East Premier League on April 13.
He was said to have tweeted “you’re dead” to the ref, and was fined £800 at Dunfermline Sheriff Court last week.
Greenhill said: “After hearing the verdict in court it was a bit of a relief that this whole situation that had dragged on long enough was over.”
In evidence, Greenhill denied that the tweet was aimed at the referee, claiming that he was referring to an Italian referee who had given away a penalty that lost him a bet.
“I didn’t say the ref’s name nor did I tweet him directly.
“I wrote on my own page which I thought was private at the time,” continued Greenhill.
Trouble erupted in the match when the referee gave a last-minute penalty to Kinnoull which resulted in four Kirkcaldy players being sent off, including Greenhill.
He said: “The game was definitely a hard game to referee. For me, he never coped with the game as there was a lot at stake with first playing second.
“He got a lot wrong but he had no linesmen and the bottom line is I, along with others, were rightly sent off.
“After being sent off I should have acted more professionally, so I hold my hands up for that and apologise for that, there are no excuses.
“I’m currently at Kelty Hearts where I’m enjoying my football again.
“At the moment I hope to put this well and truly behind me and focus on helping Kelty stay in the Super League. I’ve also made my account private so there is no confusion in the future.”