A disabled Rangers fan was left with horrific injuries after he was brutally attacked with a hammer by rival ‘Ultra’ fans.
Kurt Davidson, from Stranraer, travelled to Dundee on Thursday, January 9, to watch his team play in the Scottish Premiership at Dens Park. Before heading to the stadium, the 54-year-old stopped for some food at McDonald’s in the city centre, where some Dundee fans were also dining.
Kurt said he exchanged some “light-hearted banter” with the fans but was then followed down the street by ‘Ultras’ who attacked him. Dad-of-five Kurt lost consciousness in the attack and woke up in a confused state the next day to be told he was in intensive care at Ninewells Hospital.
He had suffered a violent hammer blow to the head – which required stitches – and also had bruising, believed to have been caused by a blunt knife.
Kurt said: “There were about 20 of them, at least, and they were all dressed in black. I got about 20 stitches in the back of my head from being hit with a hammer that had a nail lodged in it.
“I also have a massive bruise from the blunt knife that they tried to stab me with. When I woke up in the hospital the next day I had terrible concussion. I was told that I had asked the nurse to get my dad to come for me, but he has been dead for five years.
“It was a scary situation. One minute I was looking forward to the game, and the next I was in intensive care, plugged into all of these machines.”
Kurt, who has an extra vertebra in his spine and is currently unable to work due to his disability, was also robbed by his attackers.
He added: “They robbed me of everything, including £255. The only thing they left me with was my bus pass.
Kurt attends every Rangers game that he can with his 21-year-old son, Callum, and he expressed his relief that his boy didn’t witness the attack.
He continued: “I’m so glad my son wasn’t there. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if he had been hurt too.
Kurt has been loyally attending Rangers games since the 1980s and although he has encountered skirmishes between fans before, he believes the culture of violence around football is getting worse.
He said: “Things are getting out of hand and I’m telling my story to raise awareness. What has happened to me shouldn’t happen to anyone going to a football game.”
David Kennedy, Chair of the Scottish Police Federation, was left disgusted by as he called for action to tackle incidents involving violent Ultras.
He said: “It is really concerning that a person has set out that day with a hammer in their pocket knowing what they are going to do.
“The only way to stop that is to invoke the section 60 power to stop and search people to make sure they are not carrying weapons.
“The only way we can do that is by getting more officers on the street to make sure events are properly policed.
“We have seen a rise in violence in football these past few years, a return of the gang violence that we saw in the 80s, and we need to be honest here, there are not enough cops on the street.
“When you don’t have a visible police presence, that is when trouble arises.
But if we keep reducing police numbers and it has a knock on affect.”
David also offered some safety guidance to fans.
“I would advise people travelling to the match to only travel with other fans and if you are attending alone, don’t show your team colours until you are at the ground.
“That is how you stay safe because you are not dealing with normal fans, you are dealing with people out to cause violence.”
The terrifying attack on Kurt comes after Celtic and Rangers ultras clashed in Glasgow city centre ahead of their League Cup Final on December 15.
Disorder across the city was slammed as “completely and utterly unacceptable” by First Minister John Swinney.
Sickening scenes showed hundreds of fans rampaging along Argyle Street in Glasgow ahead of the game The force also reported missiles being thrown at officers resulting in one being injured, but Swinney insisted police had the situation “under control”.
An exploding firework was launched into a Celtic pub by Rangers thugs who rampaged through the city centre before clashing with rival Hoops ultras.
Gallagher’s Bar on Howard Street, near to St Enoch shopping centre, was hit in a terrifying attack which saw a Rangers ultra wearing a Santa hat throw the pyrotechnic device in a main door at the bar.
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