An Aberdeen FC player took off a rival fan’s glasses before punching him in the face after being goaded about being sent off.
Funso Ojo admitted “squaring up” to Dundee United supporter Donald Dewar before removing his spectacles, pushing him over and punching his face. The clash at Tannadice happened after Ojo was controversially sent off during the match for leaving the field of play and approaching spectators.
Ojo told Dundee Justice of the Peace Court he had confronted Dewar on the staircase after he shouted at him.
He said he initially mistook Dewar for a journalist but realised he was a United fan when he heard him shout “you must be s**t to get sent off against United”.
Ojo said he had come “face-to-face” with Dewar, 50, and “squared-up” to him, before eventually hitting him in the face.
The former Belgium Under-21 star’s team-mate Connor MacLennan was able to pull the two men apart. Ojo told the court: “I said to him, ‘What did you say? Would you still talk that way if I was right in front of you?’
“Mr Dewar came a few steps down from the landing. That’s where we met each other. We squared up. I knocked off his glasses.
“I’m not sure [why] – because of the previous provocation. We started pushing and shoving each other.
“The gentleman stumbled back and loses his footing and falls back and hits his head against the wall.
“I thought, ‘Surely this is it, it must be done.’ But he almost immediately got up and came at me again. He came straight back at me and Connor was trying to urge me back downstairs.
“At that time, I landed a punch with my right hand on his face. At that moment I felt like it was a ‘me or him’ situation.
“I believed he was either going to push me or punch me. He was provoking me.” MacLennan, 23, who is playing for St Johnstone on loan from Aberdeen, said: “It was quite obvious the other gentleman was drunk, or had had a few drinks. I felt he was just provoking Funso, not leaving him alone.”
He said it appeared Dewar’s fists may have been clenched and his teeth were gritted.
MacLennan added: “I felt he wanted to do something, or something would happen, so I got in the middle of the two of them.”
Dewar, who had been in hospitality with a group of 10 friends, admitted speaking to Ojo and claimed it was “banter” at the end of the November 20 match, which United won 1-0.
He denied trying to goad Ojo and said he had been cautioned by police for his part in the fracas.
Ojo, 31, now playing for English League One side Port Vale, was found guilty of pushing Dewar and knocking his glasses off.
JP Andrew Gourlay cleared him of punching Dewar on the basis he was acting in self-defence.
Ojo was fined £400.
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