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  • 1 month later...
Posted

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-14616461

 

Man who punched Dundee United player in head sentenced

 

 

A man who knocked a Dundee United player unconscious during a fight in Glasgow city centre has been given 240 hours community service.

 

John Friel punched Danny Swanson as he left a restaurant with two of his teammates after a night out in Glasgow in November 2010.

 

In the same incident, ex-Dundee Utd youth player Matthew Flynn headbutted the club's left back, Barry Douglas.

 

Flynn was given 190 hours of community service.

 

The pair had also admitted punching passer-by John Stuart, who stopped to help Mr Swanson as he lay motionless on the pavement.

 

They appeared for sentencing at Glasgow Sheriff Court.

 

Sheriff Alan MacKenzie told them: "This behaviour was fuelled by a large quantity of alcohol and, as one sees all too often, violence ensued.

 

"The offences to which you have tendered a plea of guilty are serious, particularly Mr Friel - your behaviour is totally unacceptable.

 

"By the force of a single blow you, John Friel, rendered one of your victims unconscious."

 

Mobile photograph

The court heard that Mr Swanson, Mr Douglas and former team mate David Goodwillie had been in Glasgow nightclub Karbon on 3 November and had met up with Scott Allan and Matthew Flynn, before going to a Japanese restaurant on Queen Street.

 

Procurator fiscal depute Bernard Ablett said: "The accused John Friel, who was not known to the Dundee United players, was also inside the restaurant.

 

"At one point Daniel Swanson attempted to take a photograph of Barry Douglas with another customer with his mobile phone, and John Friel put his hand up in front of the phone."

 

After eating their food, the Dundee United players left the restaurant just ahead of Flynn and Friel.

 

The court heard that only 19 seconds after leaving Flynn head-butted Mr Douglas then pushed him onto a parked car.

 

Mr Ablett said: "Danny Swanson's attention was distracted by this incident, and this allowed Friel to approach Swanson unnoticed from the side, and Friel then punched Swanson on the side of his head.

 

"Swanson immediately fell to the pavement, motionless for just under five minutes."

 

Mr Stuart was attacked by both Friel and Flynn after he tried to offer assistance to Mr Swanson, who was lying on the pavement, the court heard.

 

The court was told Swanson was taken to Glasgow Royal Infirmary and suffered swelling and bruising.

 

Mr Stuart suffered a broken nose which had to be re-set and had scrapes and swelling to his face.

 

Bob McCormack, representing Friel, told the court that the picture they were trying to take of a customer was his client's friend, who suffers learning difficulties and was called a "mongo" by the footballers.

 

He said: "Mr Friel raised his hand to stop this episode going any further and the photograph from taking place."

  • 7 months later...
Posted

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-17585339

 

David Goodwillie pleads guilty to assault in Glasgow

David Goodwillie David Goodwillie admitted the assault in Glasgow in November 2010

 

The 23-year-old forward admitted attacking John Friel in the city's Queen Street on 3 November 2010.

 

Goodwillie repeatedly punched Friel on the head and body and kicked him on the body during the incident.

 

He pleaded guilty during an appearance at Glasgow Sheriff Court. Sentence on the footballer was deferred until later this month for reports.

 

The court heard that Goodwillie had been at a takeaway shop in Queen Street at 04:00 when a disagreement broke out between his friends and another group of men.

 

His former Dundee United team mate Danny Swanson was knocked unconscious by Friel - an attack Goodwillie's defence QC Donald Findlay described as "cowardly" and "brutal".

 

CCTV footage of the incident showed Goodwillie confronting Friel and punching him on the head and body.

 

The court was told that Mr Swanson suffered from a medical condition.

 

As he lay on the pavement after being attacked by Friel, he had difficulty breathing and there was concern that his life may be in danger.

 

Mr Findlay said that at no time did Friel show any remorse and that Goodwillie was acting "purely out of concern for his friend".

 

The footballer has one previous conviction for assault, but the court heard that his "whole world had changed" since he moved to Blackburn Rovers.

 

Mr Findlay told the court that a custodial sentence would have "a catastrophic effect" on his client.

 

The striker was told to expect a community service order when he is sentenced at the end of April.

 

Goodwillie made his competitive debut in December 2005 with Dundee United, appearing as a late substitute in the defeat over Rangers at Ibrox.

 

He has represented Scotland at all international youth levels and received his first call-up for the senior team in November last year.

 

The striker signed a four-year deal last August with Blackburn Rovers.

  • 2 weeks later...
Posted

The fact that it took an extreme amount of provocation before Goodwillie attacked the boy should be taken into consideration.

 

Aye - I certainly pre-judged him before I seen the video.

 

Having seen it recon he should be let off.

  • 3 weeks later...
Posted

THE young mum who accused Scotland star David Goodwillie of rape has been subjected to a vile online hate campaign.

 

The 25-year-old woman said she told police about the disgusting messages, including a threat to rape her, but no action was taken.

 

She compared her case to the conviction of Sheffield United footballer Ched Evans who was jailed for five years for raping a teenager who was too drunk to consent to sex.

 

After Evans’s conviction, three men have been arrested for threatening his victim online.

 

Her identity was also revealed in a series of sickening posts.

 

Goodwillie was not prosecuted and the rape charge against him was dropped, although his alleged victim was later awarded £11,000 after the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority ruled she had been attacked.

 

The former Dundee United star, now with Blackburn Rovers, vehemently denies any wrongdoing on the night the woman says she was raped in a flat in Armadale, West Lothian.

 

Now she has been branded a “dirty slag” and a “gold-digging tramp” in posts on Facebook and various football fans’ sites.

 

Several contained threats such as “burn the witch” and one sick rant read: “She stays oot my way. I’m gonna violently rape her.”

 

The woman said the lack of action over the messages is the second time she has been let down by the authorities after nobody was put in the dock for the rape.

 

Lothian and Borders Police said they gave her assistance after she reported a string of abusive messages.

 

But they insist that officers were not made aware of a specific threat and said they did not investigate the hate messages as a crime.

 

The woman said: “I told police and they removed one message which said where I come from. The police officer told me the Crown Office would have to decide whether to take action, but all these months later, I haven’t heard anything.

 

“As well as having to cope with seeing charges dropped against Goodwillie, I now realise people can say this stuff anonymously without being caught.

 

“The people who do this are despicable. What kind of people are they? The Lord Advocate talks about stamping sectarianism out of football and that’s quite right but surely these attacks on me need properly investigated.”

 

She had met the player and his pal, St Johnstone player David Robertson, after drinking in the Glenmavis Tavern, Armadale, in January last year.

 

She says hours later she woke up alone in a nearby flat and was shocked when she discovered that she had sex with two men. She insists she has no recollection of it and did not consent.

 

She later passed a privately-funded lie-detector test when polygraph experts asked if her police statements were truthful.

 

She was also given a £11,000 Criminal Injuries Compensation payout despite the lack of any prosecution. Forensic tests showed on the night of the alleged attack the woman had a nearly fatal level of alcohol in her body.

 

A police report into her rape claim states that she was seen on CCTV “stumbling around” and wearing just one shoe. She had also lost her coat and her purse.

 

A witness who saw her that night described her as being “unresponsive and delirious” and “too drunk to be on the premises”.They also said “her eyes were rolling about in her head”.

 

Sandy Brindley, of Rape Crisis Scotland, condemned the online threats aimed at the woman.

 

She said: “The level of blame and hatred towards women expressed is deeply depressing.

 

“It’s disappointing to see that the Scottish justice system does not appear to be able to respond to public comments towards rape victims that at times come very close to hate speech.”

 

A police spokesman said: “During the criminal inquiry into the report of sexual assault, Lothian and Borders Police were made aware of private discussion forums where various comments had been posted regarding the incident.

 

“These appeared to be general comments between persons who gave their own opinions and these were not directed at the victim.Police discussed this with the victim and provided appropriate advice.

 

“Throughout the investigation the victim was fully supported by specially trained police officers and counsellors, none of whom were made aware of any threats towards her.

 

“Lothian and Borders Police will robustly investigate any reports of online intimidation and we advise anyone who experiences a crime of this nature to contact their local police station.”

 

Meanwhile the woman has received the dress she wore on the night she was attacked in a sealed evidence bag.

 

Her lawyer Cameron Fyfe, of Drummond Miller, believes it could hold critical forensic evidence which he hopes to use in a civil action against Goodwillie.

 

The woman said: “What’s inside that sealed evidence bag changed my life.

 

“It could hold so many answers to what happened to me.”

 

Goodwillie’s lawyer Liam O’Donnell dismisses suggestions that there are similarities between the allegations faced by his client and the Ched Evans case.

 

Shamed Welsh star Evans, 23, was convicted of raping a 19-year-old girl at a hotel in Rhuddlan, North Wales, on May 30 last year and jailed for five years.

 

His victim said she had no memory of the incident and the prosecution successfully argued she was too drunk to consent to intercourse.

 

Mr O’Donnell said: “There are significant differences between the cases. CCTV and text message records were significant.

 

“That is why no less than three senior Crown counsel reached the decision not to prosecute.”

  • 5 months later...
Posted

Houston moaning about not having been offered a new contract one day, gubbed 4-0 by ict the next, and beating some record for games without a goal according to some Jute on the train yesterday.

Brilliant stuff.

Roll on the 20th October and our trip to tannadice.

Posted

last time we played there in the league

 

Seriously how the fuck do you forget this?

 

 

Haha fuck aye! I genuinely tried to forget most of the past few seasons though, which is why I probably forgot about this :( What a strike though  :thumbsup:

Posted

Haha fuck aye! I genuinely tried to forget most of the past few seasons though, which is why I probably forgot about this :( What a strike though  :thumbsup:

 

true dat though last time i went we won through a mulgrew goal.  most visits in the past five years have been a bit shit it must be said though. 

Posted

true dat though last time i went we won through a mulgrew goal.  most visits in the past five years have been a bit shit it must be said though. 

 

Aye, of the two visits i've made, we've lost both :( And they were when we were a "top 6" team!

  • 2 months later...
Posted

Cannae believe what I read today. Apparently the original Zippy from Rainbow was gonna be a blue creature. But Geoffrey used to live in Dundee and had grown to become an Arab, so demanded Zippy's colour be changed to orange.

  • 5 weeks later...
Posted
DUNDEE UNITED last night made approaches for Falkirk boss Steven Pressley and Partick Thistle’s Jackie McNamara.

 

United chairman Stephen Thompson has targeted the First Division pair to replace Peter Houston.

 

Former St Johnstone and Bristol City gaffer Derek McInnes was favourite to take over from Houston, who is quitting in May.

 

But Pressley and McNamara are the two he’s interested in most, and with their respective boards unlikely to stand in their way further talks could happen over the weekend.

 

 

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Targets ... Thompson

Targets ... Thompson

SNS Group

Jackie v Elvis

Battle for Arabs job

EXCLUSIVE

By ROBERT THOMSON

Published: 10 hrs ago

2

DUNDEE UNITED last night made approaches for Falkirk boss Steven Pressley and Partick Thistle’s Jackie McNamara.

 

United chairman Stephen Thompson has targeted the First Division pair to replace Peter Houston.

 

Former St Johnstone and Bristol City gaffer Derek McInnes was favourite to take over from Houston, who is quitting in May.

 

But Pressley and McNamara are the two he’s interested in most, and with their respective boards unlikely to stand in their way further talks could happen over the weekend.

 

It was thought that Houston would stay on until the summer, but Thompson and his board are keen to bring in a new gaffer now.

 

Elvis, 39 has gained an impressive reputation for working on a shoestring budget at Falkirk since 2010.

 

He was unable to keep the Bairns in the SPL, but has kept them in mid-table in the First Division against the backdrop of severe cuts.

 

But it is his work with young players that has really sparked United’s interest, with Thompson putting major emphasis on United bringing through their own players.

 

McNamara, 39, is also highly regarded in the United boardroom and his Jags side have caught the eye this season.

 

They are pushing Morton for the title and his ability to work with little cash has impressed.

 

Thompson has been inundated with enquiries since Houston first announced his decision to reject a new deal.

 

Former Liverpool and England striker Robbie Fowler is among those to send in his CV.  :rofl:

 

United wanted to sound out ex-players Mixu Paatelainen and Michael O’Neill, who are now bossing Finland and Northern Ireland, but those moves were never likely to come off.

 

Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/feeds/smartphone/scotland/4763907/Jackie-v-Elvis.html#ixzz2J4lbdKSz

 

 

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