Two Aberdeen FC stars have posted apparently sectarian comments on a social networking website.
Michael Paton and Zander Diamond left comments on Facebook insulting Protestants, it emerged last night.
Aberdeen Football Club has confirmed that the postings have now been removed and the players “spoken to”.
The messages were posted on Paton’s Facebook page on September 16 – the day of the Pope’s open-air Mass at Bellahouston Park in Glasgow.
Diamond, 25, the club’s vice-captain, referred to the pontiff “running oer prods in his popemobile”.
Paton, 21, replied “aye and them going on fire in turnin into dust hahah”.
Last night, the comments were condemned by the Catholic Church in Scotland, which said the club should deal with the players “firmly”.
Spokesman Peter Kearney said: “Ultimately, the fight against sectarianism and bigotry has to be dealt with by Aberdeen Football Club. It is to be hoped that they will deal firmly with these players.”
Dismayed
He added: “The concern must remain that the underlying motivation has not been questioned simply by removing these comments from the page. There does seem to be a deeper intolerance.”
Chris Crighton, editor of Dons fanzine The Red Final, said fans would be “dismayed” by the players’ comments.
“It winds me up that footballers even have these web pages – it is just asking for trouble,” he said.
“They should know they are public figures, and anything they put in a public forum like that is going to attract greater attention than if anyone else was to do it.
“Clubs like Aberdeen, who have set their stall out to bring young players into the first team, really need to make players aware of what they can and cannot do. There is an element of responsibility on them to be beyond reproach and to be seen to be beyond reproach.”
Mr Crighton added Diamond’s comments were particularly disappointing. “You are looking at someone who captained the team last Saturday,” he said. “He is one of the senior figures among the current squad, and he should know better.”
Last night, a club spokes-man said: “We have dealt with it internally and the threads have been removed.
“The players have been spoken to.”
It is not the first time Dons players have attracted attention for content posted online.
Two years ago, Diamond was warned about his behaviour by the team’s manager at the time, Jimmy Calderwood, after photos of the defender sporting Celtic regalia appeared on another social networking site.
Diamond has never hidden his support for the Glasgow side, but was spoken to by Calderwood after photos were posted on his girlfriend’s Bebo page of him posing with a Hoops cake, card and headband to mark his birthday.
Offensive
Only months earlier, fellow Don Chris Maguire faced claims he posted offensive and derogatory remarks about two Rangers players on a friend’s Bebo page.
The alleged remarks were directed at Barry Ferguson and Allan Hutton, who have both since left Rangers.
The striker denied any involvement in the comments, and said they were posted by someone else who had accessed his site.
The comments were posted three days before Aberdeen played Rangers in a heated match, where Ferguson grabbed Maguire by the throat after appearing to have fouled the Scotland under-21 star.
At the time, a spokesman for Aberdeen said the player knew the comments were “totally unacceptable”, but maintained someone else had used his account.
Michael Paton and Zander Diamond left comments on Facebook insulting Protestants, it emerged last night.
Aberdeen Football Club has confirmed that the postings have now been removed and the players “spoken to”.
The messages were posted on Paton’s Facebook page on September 16 – the day of the Pope’s open-air Mass at Bellahouston Park in Glasgow.
Diamond, 25, the club’s vice-captain, referred to the pontiff “running oer prods in his popemobile”.
Paton, 21, replied “aye and them going on fire in turnin into dust hahah”.
Last night, the comments were condemned by the Catholic Church in Scotland, which said the club should deal with the players “firmly”.
Spokesman Peter Kearney said: “Ultimately, the fight against sectarianism and bigotry has to be dealt with by Aberdeen Football Club. It is to be hoped that they will deal firmly with these players.”
Dismayed
He added: “The concern must remain that the underlying motivation has not been questioned simply by removing these comments from the page. There does seem to be a deeper intolerance.”
Chris Crighton, editor of Dons fanzine The Red Final, said fans would be “dismayed” by the players’ comments.
“It winds me up that footballers even have these web pages – it is just asking for trouble,” he said.
“They should know they are public figures, and anything they put in a public forum like that is going to attract greater attention than if anyone else was to do it.
“Clubs like Aberdeen, who have set their stall out to bring young players into the first team, really need to make players aware of what they can and cannot do. There is an element of responsibility on them to be beyond reproach and to be seen to be beyond reproach.”
Mr Crighton added Diamond’s comments were particularly disappointing. “You are looking at someone who captained the team last Saturday,” he said. “He is one of the senior figures among the current squad, and he should know better.”
Last night, a club spokes-man said: “We have dealt with it internally and the threads have been removed.
“The players have been spoken to.”
It is not the first time Dons players have attracted attention for content posted online.
Two years ago, Diamond was warned about his behaviour by the team’s manager at the time, Jimmy Calderwood, after photos of the defender sporting Celtic regalia appeared on another social networking site.
Diamond has never hidden his support for the Glasgow side, but was spoken to by Calderwood after photos were posted on his girlfriend’s Bebo page of him posing with a Hoops cake, card and headband to mark his birthday.
Offensive
Only months earlier, fellow Don Chris Maguire faced claims he posted offensive and derogatory remarks about two Rangers players on a friend’s Bebo page.
The alleged remarks were directed at Barry Ferguson and Allan Hutton, who have both since left Rangers.
The striker denied any involvement in the comments, and said they were posted by someone else who had accessed his site.
The comments were posted three days before Aberdeen played Rangers in a heated match, where Ferguson grabbed Maguire by the throat after appearing to have fouled the Scotland under-21 star.
At the time, a spokesman for Aberdeen said the player knew the comments were “totally unacceptable”, but maintained someone else had used his account.
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