http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/news/article2426358.ece
By KENNY ANGOVE
and ALAN CARSON
THE yob caught waving an IRA flag at Ibrox exposed HIMSELF as a liar yesterday after boasting he DID make the offensive banner.
Clown ... Laing gives us the finger in Peterhead
Shamed Aaron Laing, 21 — who IS dating Gordon Strachan’s niece — was captured holding an Irish tricolour with the terrorist group’s name on it.
He later tried to claim he found the flag and told The Scottish Sun he had split from Ellis Paterson, 17, daughter of Celtic manager Strachan’s sister Laura.
But yesterday he boasted about making the banner in a vile rant on an internet messageboard — and insisted he was still with Ellis.
And he then did ANOTHER U-turn when he tried to stand by his earlier claim that he had nothing to do with the flag outrage — despite his online confession.
The unrepentant bigot bragged on an unofficial Hoops messageboard: “It was my flag, I made it and I’ll fight it all the way if anything comes from it. The flag has no reference to any terrorist organisation.”
He then insisted he is still going out with Ellis — despite telling our reporter that they broke up months ago.
He wrote: “No f***ing red top is going to split us up over this.”
But two-faced Laing later broke down sobbing as he continued to claim the flag which sparked the furore didn’t belong to him.
He said: “It was on the seat next to me — I held it up and as soon as I realised, I put it down. I am ashamed of myself.
“It was a drunken mistake. I’m far from a thug.
“I’d like to say sorry to my girlfriend and her family.”
Rant
Despite his claims he wasn’t a thug, the lout had earlier blasted the club for banning him and attacked Celtic chairman John Reid in his foul web rant.
Using his username Henrik7CFC — after Hoops idol Henrik Larsson — he wrote: “Maybe the media should do some research on what the flag means rather than branding me a sectarian bigot.
“I am a republican and a Celtic fan. If they want to leave politics at the door they shouldn’t have John Reid as the chairman.
“There was no crime committed here so we shall see what happens.
“They are trying very hard to ruin my life but they won’t succeed.
“Yes, a silly thing to do was to hold up that flag but it wasn’t a crime as the police would have arrested me. I won’t be broken you b*******.”
His comments — posted under the heading ‘Celtic to ban banner bigot’ — were later removed by admin on the site. Laing, of Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, was snapped grinning as he waved the flag during Rangers’ 1-0 Old Firm win on Saturday.
Celtic launched an investigation but were left red-faced when the yob was identified as dating a relative of Hoops boss Strachan.
Last night Ellis’s dad David Paterson — Strachan’s brother-in-law and president of the Grampian Emerald Celtic Supporters’ Club — said that they had taken a dim view of Laing’s behaviour.
He said: “We are a family club, we encourage youngsters to come along and we absolutely do not condone this sort of thing.”
He said he was “very sorry” his daughter “had been caught up in all of this”, and added: “It’s not a surprise because of the family’s connection with Gordon Strachan.”
Police said they are investigating the incident after receiving a complaint. A spokeswoman added: “Inquiries are continuing.”
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