Court bans Hibs casual from every football ground in UK

A FOOTBALL casual who took part in organised battles with rival hooligans has been banned from every UK ground following an order by an Edinburgh court.

Paul Angus has been outlawed from attending games for the next three years and must surrender his passport when Hibs travel abroad.

The 20-year-old did not contest the move, which made him only the second person in the Lothians to be punished with a football banning order (FBO).

The order against Angus follows one taken out against Kevin Watt, who was the first to be hit with an FBO last summer. The pair were convicted together of being involved in a mass brawl at a railway station after a Hibs away match in Falkirk in 2006. A specialist police unit worked to gather intelligence against Angus before submitting a dossier of evidence to Edinburgh Sheriff Court.

Unlike Watt, 19, the order against Angus was obtained without him being convicted of a football-related offence. Watt was slapped with his three-year order after he was charged with chanting racist abuse during a CIS cup semi-final at Tynecastle.

Hibs today welcomed the action taken against Angus, of Drum Crescent, Gilmerton, and pledged to help root out the "small minority" of hooligans.

Police chiefs also revealed that a "number of targets" among both Hibs and Hearts hooligans have been identified and intelligence is being gathered to hit them with FBOs.

Inspector Mike Bennett is the intelligence manager at the force's intelligence unit, which covers football-related disorder. He said: "We've been aware of the behaviour and activities of Angus going back to 2005. He was known to have been engaged in fighting before, during and after Hibs matches both home and away. These fights involved an element of co-ordination and pre-planning.

"Angus is the first person to be made the subject of an FBO on summary application, rather than through a court ruling upon conviction, after we submitted detailed intelligence dating back to 2005.

A number of "risk supporters" have been identified from both sides of the city and we're currently working to process more FBOs against them.

"The vast majority of fans are law-abiding with only a small group involved in causing trouble. It's arguable that they can be called fans at all. Many are simply using football as a cover and opportunity to be involved in violence."

The orders, introduced in 2006, can be imposed following a conviction for a football-related offence, while an FBO on summary application can be made based on evidence that the individual has been involved in disorder.

A Hibs FC spokeswoman said: "The individual concerned is one of a small minority who continue their attempts to tarnish the otherwise good record of Hibernian supporters.

"The club is fully supportive of the application made by Lothian and Borders Police and welcomes the outcome."

Angus and Watt, whose address was given as Pilton Park, pleaded guilty at Falkirk Sheriff Court in November 2006 to being part of a disorderly crowd, near Grahamston rail station, on February 11, that year.

The pair were fined £225 each for repeatedly trying to punch and kick two other men.

Anyone with information on football hooligans operating in the Lothians should contact police on 0131 311 3131, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.