A SCOTS football club has apologised after one of their players pushed over an opponent and kicked a ball at him – before appearing to go on and headbutt another player.
Dunbar United today (TUE) said they were disappointed by the incidents that happened during their match against Stirling University on Saturday (OCT 22).
Shocking footage shows midfielder Darren Smith pushing an unnamed Stirling University player to the ground before grabbing the ball with his hands.
The injured player lays on the ground in the foetal position before Darren then kicks the ball into his back after being issued with a yellow card by the referee.
Darren then begins to storm away but is quickly surrounded by players from both teams.
He then appears to headbutt and push a Stirling University player who falls to the ground.
Dunbar United today apologised to the team and football supporters for Darren’s actions and said they are dealing with the incident internally.
Footage of the incidents at Dunbar’s home ground of New Countess Park in East Lothian has since gone viral on Twitter with over 2.1million views.
Hundreds of viewers have slammed the player online, with some branding him a “thug” and criticising him for his “poor sportsmanship”.
One said: “Yeah this should be a police matter. Could @PoliceScotland track this man down?”
Another wrote: “So second yellow, followed by second red for violent conduct for booting the ball at the opponent and then a third red for sticking the nut on him. See you in 2024 pal!”
A third commented: “Wow. What a poor sportsmanship.”
A fourth added: “He seems like a pleasant fellow.”
While one person said: “What a thug.”
In the live match updates from Stirling University’s Twitter page, a tweet of the incident read: “NO 21 for Dunbar loses the plot and gets sent off, not a nice end to the match to be fair.”
Dunbar United club secretary Pam Munro today (TUE) said: “The club are very disappointed by the incident, which wasn’t a reflection on how the match was played.
“The matter will be dealt with internally and beyond offering a sincere apology to the players and supporters of both sides we wish to make no further comment at this time”.
The match finished Dunbar United 1-3 Stirling University, meaning Stirling University will advance to the third round of the Scottish Cup.
