Rangers fan imprisoned and banned

Police have warned that football-related violence will not be tolerated

A Rangers supporter has been jailed for more than five months and banned from football matches for the next 10 years following a clash with rival fans.

Graham Hill, 33, from Tullibody, Clackmannanshire, was involved in a disturbance between Rangers and Hibs fans following a match in Glasgow.

The incident happened on 20 December last year at Queen Street Station.

The 10-year football ban is the longest that can be imposed by the courts and police said it should act as a warning.

'Clear message'

Ch Insp Alex McGuire, from British Transport Police (BTP), said: "The BTP officers at the station quickly brought the situation under control before it could escalate and arrested Hill in what we know was a pre-planned encounter between the two sets of fans.

"With the new football season about to get under way, this custodial sentence and maximum football banning order imposed sends out a clear message that disorder on the rail network will not be tolerated.

"Anyone involved in disorder, anti-social behaviour, or any kind of criminality will have their details passed to those clubs who have already signed an official data-sharing protocol and football banning orders will be sought.

"BTP will continue to work closely with colleagues from forces all over the country to exchange intelligence and ensure passengers and rail staff can travel on match days without hindrance."

During the 2008/09 season, BTP arrested 63 people for football-related offences across Scotland.

Kenny Scott, head of security and operations at Rangers, said: "Rangers Football Club continues to work closely with both British Transport Police and Strathclyde Police to eliminate all forms of anti-social behaviour associated with football."