Man fined £1,500 for punching teenagers during football row

COURT: Youth match between Blairgowrie and Monifieth teams descended into chaos after clashes between supporters

A man who punched two boys following a chaotic children’s football match was fined £1,500 at Perth Sheriff Court yesterday.

Ian Scobie, 44, of Haddington Gardens, Dundee, had previously been found guilty after trial of punching the two teenagers on August 30 last year at Davie Park, Rattray. He had denied the charge. The court had heard how a match between teams from Monifieth and Blairgowrie descended into chaos, due to spectating mothers threatening the referee and the game being abandoned.

In addition, a player was bitten until he bled after the turbulent game and fans of both teams clashed.

One of the boys, who was then aged 16, had told the court: “He (Scobie) grabbed me by the throat and punched me. My nose was swollen.

“He grabbed my friend by the scruff of the neck and punched him to the ground.”

The other boy, aged 15 at the time, had said: “One of them called us Blairgowrie minks. The father came and approached us and said we called his son names.

“I stepped in his way and he swung for me – it was a punch. He didn’t properly connect. I knew it was a punch because I saw his fist. He fled and ran back to the car park.”

Solicitor Kevin Hampton, defending, had said: “This man (Scobie) doesn’t dispute he slaps the boys, because these boys were about to slap him.

“They were saying things about people getting stabbed after the game and making reference to Dundee minks. It’s suggested these boys were causing bother.

“The referee – in his match report – says he was threatened by female supporters of the Blairgowrie team. The match report also said a player was bitten.”

Yesterday, Mr Hampton said his client accepted he had dealt with the incident “the wrong way”.

Sentencing Scobie, Sheriff Fiona Tait told him he would need to pay a “significant” fine.

“An assault on children is not acceptable,” she said.

“They were saying things about people getting stabbed after the game and making reference to Dundee minks. SOLICITOR KEVEN HAMPTON

Ian Scobie was fined £1,500 after he was found guilty of punching two teenagers following a turbulent football match in Blairgowrie in August.