Hearts player appears in court charged with lewd and libidinous behaviour

By Cara Sulieman

FOOTBALLER Craig Thomson appeared in court today charged with lewd and libidinous behaviour towards girls between 12 and 16.

The Hearts defender appeared in private at Edinburgh Sheriff Court and made no plea nor declaration.

The 19-year-old faces three charges of lewd and libidinous behaviour under the Criminal Law (Consolidation) (Scotland) Act 1995.

He was released on bail to his address in Bonnyrigg, Midlothian.

Thomson was named man of the match for his club debut in the Europa League clash against Dinamo Zagreb in August 2009.

In September of the same year he was named SPL young player of the month.

Ex-Hearts boss in negotiations with club over unfair dismissal

By Christine Lavelle

FORMER Hearts manager Csaba Laszlo is locked in legal talks with his old club, after an employment tribunal due to begin today (Tue) was postponed.

Mr Laszlo, 46, was to launch a legal battle over unfair dismissal and a breach of contract, which led to the termination of his job earlier this year.

The hearing was set to last four days – with the ex-boss expected to give evidence in person – but has been put on hold while lawyers from both sides look to resolve the issue.

They are said to be using an external source to come to an agreement – which will likely see Mr Laszlo being offered a compensation sum to settle the matter.

Former Hearts boss launching legal battle against club

By Cara Sulieman

FORMER Hearts boss Csaba Laszlo will launch a legal bid against his old club next week when he takes them to an employment tribunal over the sudden end to his reign there earlier this year.

The Hungarian is suing Heart of Midlothian FC for unfair dismissal and breach of contract after his dismissal in January.

The tribunal has been set down to last four days, scheduled to start on Tuesday, with Mr Laszlo is expected to give evidence in person about the controversial end of his time with the Edinburgh side.

He initially had a flying start at Tynecastle, leading the team to third place in the SPL and qualifying for the Europa League.

SPL stars join bid to stub out tobacco industry cash handouts

By Michael MacLeod

SCOTLAND’S top footballers have backed a campaign to show the red card to a £300million taxpayer handout to the tobacco trade.

Euro MP Alyn Smith has signed up the skippers from Rangers, Hearts and Aberdeen in a battle against public money supporting tobacco farmers.

David Weir, Michael Stewart and Mark Kerr have all joined the SNP MEP’s campaign, it is hoped could tackle cancer death levels.

Around one third of the population of Europe smokes, and the habit is estimated to be behind one million fatalities.

Football secretary loses sex discrimination case

Louise Mackenzie has lost her case against Hearts FC

By Cara Sulieman

A CLUB football secretary who took SPL side Hearts FC to an employment tribunal claiming sex discrimination has lost her case.

Louise Mackenzie, 34, alleged the club froze her out of her “prestigious” job because she was off ill following maternity leave, and claimed that the club would have acted differently if she had been a man.

She was upset that match-day working – and the chance to earn more pay – had been handed to another employee instead when she came back part time after having a baby.

But the Tynecastle side denied that was the case, saying match day work was never in her contract and insisting that the drafted other staff in for “operational reasons”.

Csaba Laszlo gives evidence at Hearts tribunal

 

Csaba Laszlo

By Cara Sulieman

FORMER Hearts boss Csaba Laszlo revealed it wasn’t just a striker he was missing during his time with the club – but a secretary too.

He appeared as a witness today at an Employment Tribunal in Edinburgh where his former employers are accused of sex discrimination.

Football secretary Louise Mackenzie alleges she lost out on work at the club after returning from maternity leave part time before someone else was hired to cover shifts she also expected to do.

It was when a second football secretary was taken on in July 2009 that home match day hours – which Louise Mackenzie says she was contractually entitled to – were taken away from her.

Flare-throwing SPL steward banned from football

By Michael MacLeod

A FOOTBALL steward has been banned from every ground in Britain for a year after throwing a flare onto a pitch.

The court order means Michael Smith, 21, will lose his pitch-side security job with SPL side Falkirk.

He was arrested at a high-tempered derby match between rivals Linlithgow Rose and Bo’ness United when cops spotted the smoke bomb being hurled onto the pitch.

It wasn’t hard for officers to trace the arc smoke back to Smith, who was fined £1,000 and branded “mindless” by a Sheriff today (Thurs).

A Falkirk insider said last night: “This is exactly the kind of thing we employ stewards to stop other people doing, never mind doing it themselves.

“It’s completely stupid, but stewards are never the brightest anyway.

“We’ll be speaking to police, but it will be an instant dismissal.”

Man denies chasing and punching Celtic star Scott Brown

By Michael MacLeod

A MAN has appeared in court charged with attacking Celtic midfielder Scott Brown.

Mark Richardson, 22, is said to have chased after the 24 year-old in Edinburgh on Saturday and punched him “repeatedly” on the head.

Mr Richardson, of Edinburgh, appeared from custody at the capital’s Sheriff Court today (Mon) and denied beach of the peace and assault charges.

He also denied that he had breached a bail condition imposed on October 19.

The Scotland football international is said to have been chased and hit in the city’s Grindlay Street.

Devoted Hibs fan laid to rest

By Rory Reynolds

HUNDREDS of mourners turned out to pay tribute to a Hibs fanatic who missed just one game in an incredible 55 years devoted to the club.

Friends and family flocked to the funeral at Mortonhall Crematorium in Edinburgh yesterday to bid farewell to Walter “Wattie” Robb, many of them wearing green and white, instead of black.

Wattie passed away at age 74, after supporting Hibernian all his life, he was laid to rest in his Hibs colours.

Although born in Grangemouth, he moved to Rossie Place, just off Easter Road, when he was young and lived there for 20 years.

Hibs manager John Hughes led the tributes to Wattie, one of the Easter Road sides best-known and most committed supporters, saying that he was the dictionary definition of a football fan.

MoJo’s secret drug tests revealed in Davie Hay autobiography

By Rory Reynolds

FORMER Celtic boss Davie Hay has revealed that the club carried out secret drugs tests on striker Mo Johnston after allegations were made against his behaviour off the pitch.

In his new autobiography Hay has told how he swore a handful of people to secrecy and arranged for Mo – known as MoJo – to have a drugs test without his knowledge.

The star striker was told he was to have a full medical test by doctors to assess his general health – while the club’s chiefs anxiously waited to see if any trace of drugs showed up in the player’s system.

Mo – who would later transfer to Rangers, becoming the Catholic to play for the Glasgow side – was often seen in nightclubs and bars, dated a string of models and owned sports cars.