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14th November 2006

Top Tory branded Celt fans 'Gypsies'

A key Tory party adviser is today revealed as the man who branded Celtic fans "gypsies" on the official Hearts FC website.

Spin doctor Iain Gibson called Celtic fans the "gypsy home support" in an official match report after the Glasgow side scored a late winner in the heated 2-1 victory at Parkhead last week.

Gibson, who plans to stand for office in next year's May elections, wrote the highly offensive comments as part of the Edinburgh club's official match report. Gibson, 25, is a respected rising star within the Scottish Conservatives.

But his admission that he wrote the comments could put his nomination to stand for a council seat in Edinburgh in jeopardy.

The report provoked a barrage of complaints from Celtic and Hearts fans.

Gibson said: "It was put up right after the game and I took it down five or six minutes later before anyone at the club saw it.

"It was an incredibly stupid thing to do and I have apologised to everyone at the club. I cannot apologise enough. I should never had written it."

A spokesman for Hearts said last week the writer had said sorry.

A Celtic spokesman said: "It is extremely disappointing that an official club website should use such a phrase."

Michelle Lloyd, Travellers Programme Co-ordinator for Save the Children in Scotland, said: "This is evidence of the widespread discrimination faced by many young gypsy travellers in Scotland and highlights the need for strong leadership in tackling all forms of racism."