Hibs fan banned from all Scottish football stadiums after Easter Road pitch invasion

A FOOTBALL supporter has been banned from every stadium in Scotland while he awaits sentencing for running on to the pitch to confront an opposition player.

Cameron Mack is led away from Police after running onto the park and confronting James Tavernier

Hibs fan Cameron Mack leapt over the advertising hoardings at Easter Road to kick the ball away from James Tavernier before becoming involved in a physical altercation with the Rangers captain in the Ladbrokes Premiership clash between the two sides.

Mack, 21, was quickly led away by stewards and police after the incident on Friday, March 8 and accepted a charge of breach of the peace at Edinburgh Sheriff Court.

Sheriff Adrian Cottam deferred sentencing Mack until April, but banned him from attending any Scottish football ground until then.

Rangers captain James Tavernier is confronted by a fan who runs onto the pitch

It comes as a Hibernian-supporting MP called for clubs to be held accountable for the actions of supporters by introducing “strict liability” legislation.

The incident was the latest in a string of issues with crowd disorder during the football season after Celtic midfielder Scott Sinclair was targeted by a bottle thrown from the stand at Easter Road during Hibs’ Scottish Cup quarter-final tie with Celtic earlier this month.

Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish was punched by a Birmingham supporter during Sunday’s derby in the English Championship.

And now, Ian Blackford MP has called for clubs to “accept responsibility” to improve fan behaviour.

Hibernian chief executive Leeann Dempster said she would “not rule out” closing part of the stadium to curb supporter disorder.

Blackford, who is the All Party Parliamentary Group for Football Supporters vice-chairman, said: “We have to accept that we have a real problem in football at the moment and we have to deal with it.”

“I was very pleased to hear Hibs chief executive Leeann Dempster speak out against what happened at Easter Road on Friday but if football cannot deal with these issues – and we have witnessed an increase in the number of sectarian incidents, too – then we might have to consider fresh legislation.”

Mr Blackford added: “We cannot just stand by and not take this seriously. We are talking about player safety here.”

“The clubs have to accept responsibility for how fans behave at their games. I know why clubs and the football authorities don’t want to do that but it is time to talk about strict liability for clubs. That is how behaviour will improve.”

Speaking after the game, Dempster said: “Given everything we have talked about and what has been said in the past six days I find it astonishing I have to talk about another incident. I was going to call him a supporter but I don’t think you can call people like that supporters. As far as I’m concerned, he won’t come to another football match at Easter Road. Ever.”