Dundee United fan who attacked Aberdeen's Funso Ojo during game dodges jail

A football supporter who attacked a Premiership player during a match has been ordered to carry out unpaid work as a direct alternative to a jail sentence.

Dundee United fan Marc Jackson assaulted Aberdeen player Funso Ojo as he ran towards home supporters to recover the ball when it went out of play.

Jackson, a season ticket holder at Tannadice for 22 years, stood up and used both hands to shove the player backwards, causing him to stumble.

Dundee Sheriff Court was told that tensions had flared during the match because a Dundee United player had been sent off shortly before half-time.

However, the court was told that Jackson had, ironically, missed the incident as he had left early to beat the queue for a half-time pie.

Night manager Jackson, 35, admitted attacking Funso Ojo, 30, by pushing him on the body at Tannadice Park in Dundee on 20 November last year.

He was ordered to carry out 180 hours unpaid work and the court heard that Dundee United had withdrawn his season ticket for the rest of the 2021/22 campaign. His status will be reviewed by the club in the wake of the court case.

Sheriff Alistair Carmichael said: "This could potentially have influenced the way other fans behaved. There were thousands of people there. It is a serious matter.

"You were guilty of assaulting a footballer in the course of a professional match. It was not a wise thing to do. This was a bizarre set of circumstances and clearly out of character.

"I am satisfied you have a genuine love for the game and are genuinely ashamed of what you did. A custodial sentence has to be considered but I am satisfied there is an alternative."

The incident sparked controversy when the Aberdeen midfielder was shown a second yellow card and was sent