An OAP had to be ejected from a football game amid claims he racially abused a visiting player in a pre-season friendly.
The Fraserburgh FC fan, who has not been identified by the club, was accused of targeting a Dundee United player during the home side’s penultimate pre-season fixture.
The man, believed to be in his 80s, was swiftly ejected from Bellslea Park during the hotly anticipated tie involving the visitors’ under-20s squad.
Bosses at Fraserburgh FC, who play in the Highland League, are investigating Saturday’s incident and say further action could follow.
Last night Finlay Noble, the club’s chairman, praised the target of the abuse – 18-year-old Justin Johnson – for the manner in which he conducted himself.
Mr Noble said: “We don’t want that in our ground.
“This is a young lad who has come up as part of a visiting team who has handled the situation very well. It’s a shame that he has to put up with that kind of abuse.
“There was one comment that was made, and it was handled by the lad and his club. Once we get more information we, as a club, will handle it.”
A spokeswoman for Dundee United added that the Tannadice side was “investigating” the incident.
“We don’t have any information at this point,” she said.
“When we have all the details we will no doubt deal with it in an appropriate manner.”
The co-chairman of Fraserburgh’s supporters club, Brian Topping, said he had not heard the abuse directly, but was told later that the man involved was seen looking “repentant” outside the ground in his car at the final whistle.
Mr Topping said the man, who he described as a pensioner, had attempted to regain entry to the ground to apologise to the player for his actions, but was turned away.
“Any type of abuse, of any kind, has no place in football at all, regardless of whether it’s Premier League or amateur football,” Mr Topping said.
“People can have their feelings, but when you publicly abuse someone it is not to be tolerated and it is certainly not tolerated in the supporters club. Any member who travels to away matches would certainly have their membership card torn up.
“I know in the heat of the moment people can sometimes say things without thinking, and I would like to think this is perhaps the case here. It is certainly the only time I’ve heard of something like this happening at the Bellslea.
“It’s not a nice thing for a visiting club to come up and hear. Fraserburgh are a good club to follow and support.”
The incident is the second in as many years at a north-east football ground.
Last March, a 19-year-old was banned from attending games throughout Scotland for 12 months after he hurled a racist remark at East Stirlingshire player Jordan Tapping during a match at Peterhead’s Balmoor stadium.
At the time, the Falkirk club said the 17-year-old defender was so upset he had to be substituted minutes before the end of match.
The charity Show Racism the Red Card, which uses football to educate against abuse in society, has offered its support to the investigation of the incident at Fraserburgh.
A spokeswoman for the group said: “We’re saddened to hear that there’s been an alleged incident and we hope that the investigation clears things up as quickly as possible.
“We have very good support from the SPFL clubs, particularly Dundee United, and we have offered our support.”