Rangers fan fined for shouting sectarian slurs during match

Christopher McNally, 36, was convicted of hurling bigoted abuse during a Rangers match just hours after the club’s fans were accused of living in “the dark ages” by a leading manager.

McNally used slurs about the Pope and the Vatican as he formed part of a group of sectarian fans caught on camera during an SPFL match against St Johnstone.

Perth Sheriff Court was told that McNally had no previous convictions and had been attending Rangers matches to take his mind off the untimely death of his teenage daughter.

McNally, Arden Street, Edinburgh, admitted that on May 21, 2017, at McDiarmid Park in Perth he conducted himself in a disorderly manner and breached the peace.

He admitted that during the match between St Johnstone and Rangers he sang sectarian lyrics towards opposing supporters in an act which was aggravated by religious prejudice.

Fiscal depute Matthew Kerr told the court that McNally had been picked out by specialist police “spotters” who were monitoring the travelling support at the stadium.

Mr Kerr said the spotters filmed Ibrox season ticket holder McNally and several other fans singing well-known terrace chants with sectarian words towards rival fans.

McNally’s solicitor told the court that he wished to apologise and pointed out that he had never been in trouble before and had no other cases outstanding.

The solicitor said: “He was one of a number of people singing these songs and he is very sorry for his behaviour, which he knows is not acceptable.”

The court was told that McNally had formerly spent weekends with his daughter, but she had tragically passed away in May 2016 at the age of 13.

He had been urged by friends to start attending Rangers matches at weekends to take his mind off his daughter’s death when he would have been in her company.

The court was told on Thursday afternoon that he had a job and could pay a fine. The Crown did not seek to have him banned from attending football matches in future.

McNally, whose hair was dyed blue in a floppy mohawk style, was fined £560 by Sheriff Keith O’Mahoney, who said: “I hope you have learned your lesson.”

Kilmarnock boss Steve Clarke hit out at Rangers supporters in midweek after being taunted with sectarian songs throughout a cup match between the clubs.

He said he faced “sectarian” abuse from the “dark ages” during his side’s 5-0 Scottish Cup last-16 replay defeat by Rangers.

And emotional Clarke said: “Where are we living? The dark ages? What are we doing in Scotland?”

“I wake up every morning and thank Chelsea for taking me away from the west of Scotland because my children don’t understand this.

“Thankfully when I go down there my children don’t have to worry about this.”

David Scott, Campaign Director for anti-sectarian charity Nil by Mouth, said: “Scottish football has failed for generations to tackle sectarian abuse.

“What we have seen, particularly - it has to be said - from the Old Firm clubs, is a complete washing of hands where they say ‘this is nothing to do with us, this is society’s problem, we can’t solve it’, where people think they can go to matches and behave in this manner.

“You would not behave like that in the workplace or in the community without sanction, so why do we allow this permissive environment? It is simply because the clubs and governing bodies don’t have the backbone, the bottle, the spine to do something about it.”

Rangers have been asked for comment on McNally’s conviction.

Join our Facebook group Our Edinburgh to share images and news from and around the Capital