Man arrested after Hibs player allegedly subjected to racial abuse

A 38-year-old man has been arrested after Hibs’ midfielder Marvin Bartley was allegedly racially abused during the derby involving Hearts and Hibs on Saturday.

Hearts have condemned the alleged incident which took place as the player was warming up at Tynecastle during Hibs’ derby victory on Saturday.

Bartley is a cult figure amongst the Hibs’ supporters mainly for his performances in Edinburgh derbies where he has a particularly good record.

In addition, a 19-year-old man has been charged in connection with throwing a flare while a boy, 16, has been charged for allegedly throwing a coin.

The kick off was delayed as flares and smokes bombs were set off while a coconut was thrown onto the pitch during the game.

An SPFL spokesperson said in a statement: “Racism is completely unacceptable and we fully support any steps taken by our clubs and the authorities to identify those who behave in this manner.

“Once identified, it’s vital that, as well as prompting club bans, such behaviour is dealt with severely by the courts.

“The SPFL wholeheartedly condemns all racism and, whilst rare in Scottish football, it’s something we and our clubs take very seriously.

“We would strongly encourage supporters who witness any kind of discriminatory abuse to report it to the police.”