A Highland League footballer and a senior police officer’s son have been ordered to carry out unpaid work after being exposed as members of an Aberdeen FC ultras group.
Keith FC player Ben Johnston and Cameron Craig were part of a masked gang of 30 supporters who became involved in a violent clash with rival fans at a bar.
Police officer’s son Craig – who had already been banned from attending matches after another conviction for football disorder – and Johnston were ordered to do 50 hours unpaid work.
Sheriff Garry Sutherland noted that Johnston had already given up his season ticket at Pittodrie and declined to impose football banning orders at Dundee Sheriff Court today, Thursday, October 24.
Referring to Aberdeen’s unbeaten start to the season and their current position at joint top of the Scottish Premiership, the sheriff said: “He’ll be regretting that at the moment.”
Johnson’s solicitor Doug McConnell said: “As an Aberdeen supporter myself, I will be going to games – but he won’t.”
Craig – who was banned from football matches last year after trying to hurl a rock at a Rangers supporters bus – has now admitted a riotous clash with Dundee United supporters.
Craig, 20, and Johnston, 18, both admitted acting with up to 30 others to form part of a disorderly crowd which confronted rival supporters in Main Street, Dundee.
Aberdeen were scheduled to play Dundee United at Tannadice in a 6pm kick-off when the clash took place on 4 March last year, the court heard.
Fiscal depute Laura Hogg told the court: “Dundee United were due to play Aberdeen. The accused were part of a group of 30 males dressed in black and wearing face masks.
“The area outside The Snug Bar was busy. The large group of 30 individual appeared to run forward towards the bar. They appeared to be goading the occupants.
“A cordon was formed and assistance was requested. Items were thrown towards patrons. There was fighting between rival groups of fans. Mr Johnston refused to observe the instructions of police.”
Craig, from Pitmedden, and Johnson, from Keith, admitted conducting themselves in a disorderly manner and forming part of a disorderly crowd on the day of the match.
They admitted acting with unknown others and acting in an aggressive manner towards a group of opposing football supporters whilst wearing face masks. They admitted shouting and swearing and committing a breach of the peace.
The charge was amended to remove a reference to the duo “brandishing and swinging belts, lighting flares and throwing one at a door sign, smashing a bottle against a wall causing glass to fall on members of the public, throwing a tin against a wall, and engaging in a fight with opposition supporters.”
Johnson also admitted resisting five police officers by lashing out at them, pushing, seizing and struggling with them as they tried to arrest him.
Mr McConnell, for Johnston, said: “He was only 17 at the time. He got caught in the crowd, and caught up with the actions of others. It was stupidity he got himself into.
“He’s from a close-knit family and they are pretty embarrassed about the situation. He has given up his season ticket. He is an apprentice cooper and plays football with Keith.”
Craig’s lawyer, Theo Finlay, told the court: “He had an analogous matter which was dealt with in May this year. He was given [135 hours] unpaid work and a two-year football banning order.
“It does appear that over a short period of time he got involved in nonsense. The two offences were committed over the space of a few weeks. There has been nothing else since.”
Sheriff Sutherland said: “You are clearly two young men who got tied up in something you shouldn’t have. This was more like a scene from the 1980s than something you would expect in society in 2023.
“I want to make it clear to you at this age and stage of your lives that this isn’t going to happen again.”
Two other men – Ben Cumming, 20, and Brandon Emslie, 22, both from Aberdeen – also faced the breach of the peace charge but their not guilty pleas were accepted by the Crown.
In April, Craig was banned from all UK football grounds after he admitted acting in a threatening or abusive manner by trying to throw a rock at the Rangers fan bus.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told that Craig was the son of a senior police officer and had only been prevented from launching the rock by a quick-thinking officer.
Craig was part of a large mob goading Rangers fans as they left Pittodrie following a 2-0 defeat and a number of bricks and bottle were thrown at the supporters coach.
He was grabbed round the waist by an officer as he was about to launch the missile and was subsequently arrested after the match on 23 April 2023. He admitted the charge a year later.
Sheriff Graham Buchanan told Craig he had been “extremely foolish” to get involved in the disorder and told him that he considered it “quite a serious offence.”
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