Compston ‘IRA’ storm
Line of Duty star denies singing sectarian song after he’s filmed at Celtic event in Las Vegas
‘This clip will repulse the Scottish public’
SCOTS actor Martin Compston was at the centre of a sectarian storm last night after he was filmed singing at an event where Celtic fans chanted an IRA song.
The Line of Duty star was a guest at a North American Federation of Celtic Supporters’ Clubs (NAFCSC) event in Las Vegas on Wednesday night.
Footage has emerged of Greenock-born Compston, 38, onstage alongside fellow actor Gianni Capaldi as well as ex-Celtic midfielders Alan Thompson and Bobby Petta.
A clip shows the men on stage as audience members sing an IRA chant to the tune of Daniel Boone’s 1972 hit Beautiful Sunday.
Compston, wearing last season’s Celtic away top, can be seen pointing in the air as a raucous audience chant ‘Irish Republican Army. It’s the I-I-I-IRA.’
The footage was met with a furious backlash on social media but Compston tweeted: ‘Not best pleased to wake up to a story 8 hours ahead of me before I’ve had the right to reply.
‘Let me be absolutely clear, I unequivocally did not sing ANY sectarian songs. I’ve worked in Belfast too long to see damage done to think this stuff is a laugh.
‘If people want to change lyrics to a song that’s sung at Celtic Park, weddings, Still Game, wherever, that’s up to them. I’m not the lyric police.
‘If it was an IRA song and I was onstage bobbing along I would understand the story but I’m pretty sure Daniel Boone had nothing more than Beautiful Sundays in mind when he wrote the song and that’s what I was singing.’
The guests on the stage are seen on the video holding drinks as they join in the raucous celebration.
Compston, who plays DI Steve Arnott in Line of Duty, lives in Las Vegas.
The six-day NAFCSC event started on Sunday and runs until today.
The NAFCSC Facebook page told guests at the convention: ‘We welcome you to Vegas, but please mind yourself, it’s a fantastic place but like all things, well you know yourself.
‘Also please be patient with the hotel, if anything arises, please keep calm and find one of the executive, we’ll assist you. Right, nothing more to say than let’s get the party started.’
Compston has helped to raise millions of pounds for Unicef over the years by taking part in celebrity Soccer Aid matches.
Last month he fronted a Unicef appeal to help children in Ukraine who have lost their homes and are in need of clean water.
Unicef was contacted for comment.
Last night, Scottish Tory community safety spokesman Russell Findlay said: ‘Such disgraceful celebration of terrorism disrespects those murdered by the IRA and the thousands of innocent survivors of their terror.
‘This clip will also repulse the wider Scottish public.’ Dave Scott, director of anti-sectarian group Nil by Mouth, said: ‘This is a pretty depressing spectacle and those involved in the IRA chanting need to take a long hard look at themselves in the mirror.
‘These are adults, not children, who should know better.
‘The worst thing? Children and young people could see this and now think this is totally acceptable behaviour.’
Mr Capaldi, Mr Thompson, Mr Petta, Celtic and the NAFCSC were contacted for comment.