Rutherglen man who chucked bottle at Celtic goalkeeper jailed

Glasgow Times

20-06-2025

Andrew Watt, 34, launched the missile at the Finnish international at Ibrox Stadium on May 4, 2025.
Andrew Watt (Image: Mike Gibbons, Spindrift)
Rangers drew 1-1 with the Scottish Premiership champions that afternoon.
Watt initially threw a cigarette at Mr Sinisalo after Celtic scored their equaliser through striker Adam Idah.
He then picked up a half bottle of Buckfast and hurled it at the goalkeeper, who celebrated the goal in front of the Rangers fans.
The bottle was later handed to police officers by a Rangers substitute.
Watt was identified the following day on CCTV due to his "distinctive white teeth."
Watt pleaded guilty at Glasgow Sheriff Court to assaulting Mr Sinisalo.
Sheriff Mark McGuire told Watt, of Rutherglen, Lanarkshire, that his actions were not of a "fan" but a "vicious drunken hooligan."
(Image: PA)
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The sheriff added: "Your motive was victim blaming. You came to throw a bottle after he celebrated his team scoring an equaliser.
"That is his job - your victim was doing his job - the man was at his work. In what possible world could you or anyone else think it is acceptable to throw a bottle at someone at his work?
"Had the bottle hit him, the consequences could have been catastrophic, career-ending or worse. In a febrile atmosphere in a stadium which holds over 50,000 people, your actions could have sparked a riot.
"It was not just an assault on Mr Sinisalo - what you did could have endangered everyone, man, woman and child that afternoon.
"In all the circumstances, to punish you and deter others from acting like you did and to protect the public, I am satisfied there is no alternative to a custodial sentence."
Watt was also banned from all football matches for a period of six-and-a-half years.
The court heard that after Adam Idah scored, there was a VAR check on the goal to see if it would be allowed.
After a two-to-three-minute stoppage, the referee awarded the equalising goal to Celtic.
Prosecutor Leo McGinn said: "At that point, Mr Sinisalo turned back to his own goal towards the Rangers fans and pumped his fists.
"This sparked an angry reaction from the Rangers fans behind the goal, and a half bottle of Buckfast was thrown in his direction.
"The bottle did not strike him but landed on the field of play."
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The bottle was handed over to police officers by a Rangers substitute, but the perpetrator was unknown at the time.
A CCTV investigation was carried out by police the next day, which identified Watt as being responsible.
Mr McGinn added: "He was seen to throw a lit cigarette in Mr Sinisalo's direction, which had not been spotted by officers.
"Watt could be identified by his build and distinctive white teeth."
Watt later handed himself in to police officers after he was aware that they were looking for him.
Kevin Corr, defending, told the sentencing that Mr Sinisalo was "not gloating" before the assault took place.
The lawyer added: "The stadium was tense at the time while the decision was being awarded.
"My client had been consuming alcohol on the morning of the game and continued drinking during the match.
"It was not a full half bottle of Buckfast as it was in the second half of the match. He knows that this is the behaviour of someone in their teens rather than someone in his mid-thirties - there is no attempt to minimise or justify what happened."
The hearing was told that Watt has 21 previous convictions, which include two football-related matters from 2013 and 2015, the latter of which saw him jailed for 10 months with a three-year football ban.