Hibee banned from every ground in Scotland after Tavernier confrontation
BY GORDON SMITH reporters@dailyrecord.co.uk A HIBS fan who ran on to a pitch to confront Rangers captain James Tavernier was yesterday banned from every football ground in Scotland.
Cameron Mack, 21, jumped the advertising barrier and ran towards the player as the teams met during a Scottish Premiership game at Easter Road on Friday night.
Fiscal depute Lorraine Almond told Edinburgh Sheriff Court yesterday that Mack – who admitted a breach of the peace – acted in a disorderly manner at the ground, kicking the ball away, approaching Tavernier and behaving in an aggressive manner to him.
Both men, she added, pushed each other several times. A steward intervened before police took Mack away.
Mack, of Port Seton, East Lothian, was told by Sheriff Adrian Cottam to return to court next month to be sentenced.
Solicitor advocate Stuart Carson said his client had no previous convictions and asked that bail be granted.
The sheriff agreed but told Mack: “The nature of the offence has caused a lot of discussion and concern and is a serious matter.”
Footage showed Mack run towards the Rangers captain and appearing to grab him before Tavernier responded by defending himself just before half time in Friday’s 1-1 draw.
Hibs chief executive Leeann Dempster was furious when she spoke after the incident, which came just six days after Celtic star Scott Sinclair was targeted with a Buckfast bottle at the same stadium. She said: “I was going to call him a supporter but I’m not going to call him a supporter.
“It reflects badly on the club, it reflects badly on the Scottish game when it is thriving but what are we talking about again tonight? We’re talking about an absolute foolish idiot and it’s completely unacceptable.”
Rangers manager Steven Gerrard yesterday said he would be willing to remove his players from the pitch if any were attacked by supporters.
He added: “We’d speak to the police and officials and make a collective decision. But it’s certainly a decision I would support if any of the players, my players or opposition players, were at risk.”
SPFL chief Neil Doncaster said: “We utterly condemn the reprehensible behaviour shown by this individual. We’ll review the circumstances with the match delegate and the police and take any appropriate steps.”