A Celtic fan’s sectarian singing at a Highland stadium has prevented him from attending a costly Champions League Match after he was banned from attending it by a sheriff yesterday.
Care worker Martin Murphy had admitted at Inverness Sheriff Court to behaving offensively by singing a song in support of a terrorist organisation at the match between Ross County and the Parkhead side on April 16.
But when Sheriff Michael Fletcher viewed CCTV of the 28-year-old apparently leading the singing amidst a band of supporters, he decided he had to impose an interim ban on him attending future football matches pending a background report.
Before the sheriff placed the special bail condition on the Edinburgh man, he first asked defence solicitor Paul Sutherland: “That would be extremely provocative if sang in Glasgow or at Ibrox but the rest of the world doesn’t seem to understand what it is about.”
But after watching the footage, the Sheriff noted: “There are other supporters who were disapproving of his behaviour.”
Mr Sutherland said his client had been a Celtic season ticket holder for over 20 years and had never been in any sort of trouble.
He added: “He has spent a lot of money to go to the match against Paris St Germain and I am asking that no ban on attending matches be imposed until he is sentenced.
“He will have a number of punishments imposed on him and not by the court, as this conviction may result in him losing his job, not to mention the cost of the trip.”
Murphy, of Lady Nairne Loan, Edinburgh, will be sentenced on December 15.