Rangers Supporter Receives Football Ban Following Woman’s Assault

A supporter of Rangers Football Club, who faced charges after a woman was assaulted and robbed prior to a cup tie against St Johnstone, has been prohibited from attending football matches for two years. Arran Watt, 22, was given a drum that had been forcibly taken from Beverley Mayer outside Hampden Park on August 17. Ms. Mayer, who serves as a supporters liaison officer for St Johnstone, had been pushed to the ground by two unidentified men who then seized the drum from her. This incident led to crowd disorder occurring before the Premier Sports Cup fixture, involving confrontations between the Rangers supporters’ group, the Union Bears, and police. Watt, who resides in Irvine, North Ayrshire, resisted officers and tried to escape. Furthermore, he initially declined to provide his personal information. At Glasgow Sheriff Court, Watt entered a guilty plea to charges of reset and breach of the peace. He additionally confessed to possessing a baton without a valid reason or legal authorization, at a time when he was on bail for previous offenses. In addition to the football ban, Sheriff Louise Arrol KC mandated that Watt be electronically tagged for a period of six months, requiring him to stay indoors from 8:00 PM to 6:00 AM. Watt, who had spent 85 days remanded in custody, was also placed under supervision for 18 months. The sheriff stated: “You understand that public disorder connected with football is frightening and damaging to people simply enjoying sport.” During the period of the incident, Rangers were utilizing the national stadium for their home matches because of ongoing refurbishments at Ibrox. The team subsequently won the last-16 match by a score of 2-0. The current cup holders are scheduled to face Celtic in the final on Sunday, December 15.