A Highland League footballer will stand trial next year accused of posting racist and threatening material on social media about Aberdeen FC defender Shay Logan.
Alexander Thoirs appeared from custody on Christmas Eve at Aberdeen Sheriff Court and posting an image and a comment on microblogging site Twitter.
The 26-year-old’s agent, solicitor Kevin Longino, said his client had been co-operating with police during their investigation so far, but officers had turned up “out of the blue” on Tuesday and held him in custody overnight.
Mr Longino – who described the charge as an “unusual libel” – said no one had been able to provide an answer as to why his client had spent a night in the cells before the court appearance.
He said: “The alleged offence was said to have taken place on November 7.
“Mr Thoirs has been fully co-operating with the police since then.
“For reasons I can’t explain police arrived at his home and put him in custody yesterday.
“I can’t understand why he appears from custody”
Fiscal depute Sandy Hutchison also said he did not have an answer as to why Thoirs had been held in custody.
Offshore worker Thoirs, of 11 Lilac Place, Aberdeen, denied conducting himself in a disorderly manner by posting an image and a comment on a social media site that was of a racist and threatening nature.
Thoirs, who signed for Huntly from junior club Dyce three years ago, will stand trial next year.
Mr Logan was recently at the centre of a row between Aberdeen and Celtic after the Glasgow club’s on-loan winger Aleksandar Tonev was given a seven-match ban.
The Bulgarian was found guilty of racially abusing Mr Logan when the sides met in September, and an appeal to over turn the ban failed.