By VICTORIA WELDON
A CELTIC fan who waved an IRA flag at Ibrox was yesterday fined £500 and banned from football for three years.
Yob Aaron Laing, 21, committed the offence while he was dating a niece of then Hoops manager Gordon Strachan.
And the electrician's lawyer admitted his actions had caused "significant embarrassment" to the family of his girlfriend Ellis Paterson, 17.
Oh Gord ... we reveal link
The Sun
Laing, of Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, was arrested days after the Old Firm clash after a photo of him waving an Irish tricolour with "IRA" daubed on it was published in The Scottish Sun.
He admitted breaching the peace at the match on May 9.
Prosecutor Anthony Quigley told Glasgow Sheriff Court that Rangers fans had reacted angrily to Laing waving the flag.
He added: "Police were very concerned about the growing hostility in the ground and the possibility of serious public disorder.
Behaviour
"There was also a real risk of the crowd surging and people being trampled under foot."
Mr Quigley said Celtic have since banned the season ticket holder from Parkhead.
Defence lawyer Neil McCulloch said Laing had started drinking at 5am that day. He added: "He accepts that his behaviour was entirely unacceptable.
"He tells me he found the flag behind his seat. He was fully aware of what was written on it.
"His girlfriend at the time has a relative who at that time had a significant connection to the club.
"His actions caused significant embarrassment to her and her family." Yet later, Laing said he was considering an APPEAL against the sentence handed down by Sheriff Alexander Johnston.
He posted on a footy chat site: "I am appalled at the banning order because I have no previous apart from driving offences."
----------------------------------
A list of the major atrocities by the IRA can be viewed at
http://victims.org.uk/s08zhk/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=183