A 46-year-old man has been given a football banning order after pleading guilty to racial abuse during a game between Hearts and Hibernian at Tynecastle in December.

The man also received a fine when he appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on January 21, 2025.

He’s one of six people to have received a football banning order recently, with a 62-year-old man also given one after pleading guilty to assault to injury at a game between Aberdeen and Dundee on March 13, 2024.

Two other men, aged 19 and 22, were issued banning orders after assaulting a teenager at a fixture involving Dunfermline and Raith Rovers in January 2024 while a further two – aged 26 and 27 – pleaded guilty to breach of the peace at matches involving Aberdeen and Celtic and Rangers.

Assistant Chief Constable Gary Ritchie said: “We should all be able to go to a football match and enjoy the game without fear of violence or disorder. We will use all available tools at our disposal to eradicate this unacceptable behaviour.

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“Football banning orders can be instrumental in helping us keep fans, players and our communities safe. We will continue to work with the clubs and courts to tackle criminality.”

Calum Beattie, the SPFL’s chief operating officer said: “We warmly applaud the robust approach from the police and courts in dealing with this disgraceful behaviour, as well as the swift action taken by our clubs to identify the individuals involved.

“The fact that a football banning order was imposed in these cases is entirely appropriate and we welcome the use of this restriction as an effective deterrent to other forms of unacceptable behaviour in stadia.”