Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
BANNED FROM EVERY UK STADIUM
Ulster footie fan’s Celtic kick shame
A CELTIC supporter from Northern Ireland wept in the dock yesterday after he was banned from every football ground in the UK.
John Hatton, 21, from Belfast, received the order after he ran on to the pitch in Glasgow during his team’s 5-0 defeat to Paris Saint Germain in the Champions League.
The Tesco worker, who was bailed, admitted assault after he tried to kick PSG striker Kylian Mbappe on Tuesday.
His defence lawyer told the court: “He had consumed a lot of alcohol and can only remember parts of the day.”
A CELTIC fan yesterday wept in the dock as he admitted invading the pitch and assaulting a Paris-saint Germain player during Celtic’s 5-0 defeat in the Champions League.
John Hatton, from Belfast, jumped over a metal railing and ran on to the pitch on Tuesday night before assaulting PSG forward Kylian Mbappe by attempting to kick him.
It happened in the 40th minute after PSG’S Edinson Cavani scored the French side’s third goal at Celtic Park.
At Glasgow Sheriff Court, Tesco worker Hatton also pleaded guilty to behaviour likely to incite public disorder by approaching Mbappe. He was banned from every football ground in the UK by Sheriff Sukwinder Gill who told him: “I don’t know much about football.
“But this was a high-profile match. It was a Champions League match. It was televised across the UK.”
Defence lawyer Dan Cameron said: “The incident wasn’t viewed on television screens. It was 40 minutes into the match. He was taken by security stewards almost immediately from the pitch.
“The match wasn’t disrupted for any great length of time. He had consumed a lot of alcohol and can only remember parts of the day.”
Hatton was granted bail and sentence was deferred on him until October 11 for background reports. A
second Celtic fan Anthony Lavelle admitted punching Hatton on the head as he was being led from the stadium by police.
Depute fiscal Louise Mcneil said: “Mr Lavelle was a spectator and after seeing
John Hatton invading the pitch he became upset and angry.
“While the police were escorting Mr Hatton from the stadium he punched him on the head. Mr Lavelle was then arrested.”
Defence lawyer Ann Mckinlay said: “His last conviction was 42 years ago when he was 19.
“Mr Lavelle was far from the only person who was angry about the pitch invasion.
“The consequences for the club could be very serious. Uefa could make them play their matches behind closed doors.
“Mr Lavelle said that as Mr Hatton was being taken out of the ground he [Hatton] was laughing and he [Lavelle] struck out and hit him on the head.
“I am told that Mr Hatton is very sorry that Mr Lavelle got into trouble because of him.”
The court was told the asbestos remover, who now lives in St Albans, England, has been a Celtic supporter since he was 13 and takes his nephew who suffers from epilepsy to matches.
Sheriff Gill fined Lavelle £400 and gave him two months to pay it.
She refused a Crown motion to impose a football banning order on him.
Sheriff Gill told Lavelle: “You have been going to football matches for 48 years with no trouble and you take your nephew to matches.
“If Celtic Football Club wish to revoke your season ticket that’s a matter for them, but, I would hope they would see sense.”
Throughout the hearing Lavelle stood obediently in the dock, speaking only to say that the punch he delivered to the side of Hatton’s head was “more of a slap”.
By contrast Hatton, who works for Tesco, cried as he was banned from every ground in the UK and bailed to return to court to be sentenced at a later date after admitting assault and invading the pitch.
Before the match he had posted on social media, encouraging Celtic to get stuck into the side’s star striker Neymar.
He tweeted: “Make that first tackle known, as soon as Neymar takes that first touch... hit him as hard and as fair as you can. Come on the Bhoys!!!”
He had a lot of alcohol and can only remember part of the day DAN CAMERON GLASGOW SHERIFF COURT