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A man was charged after a hot drink was thrown at Rangers player Alfredo Morelos during a match against Motherwell.

The incident occurred during the Scottish Premiership match at Fir Park on December 15.

Police said a 30-year-old man was arrested and charged in connection with the incident.

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He is scheduled to appear at the Hamilton Sheriff Court on January 29.

ARREST UPDATE:

Man arrested after incident in Motherwell game against Rangers: https: //t.co/HkAFcUO1aI pic.twitter.com/uklvbZ7wXD

– Motherwell Police (@MotherwellPol) January 9, 2020

Morelos was sent off for gesturing to Motherwell supporters after scoring his team’s second goal in his 2-0 victory.

A police spokesperson said, “Police can confirm that a 30-year-old man was arrested and charged in an incident during the Motherwell game against the SPFL Rangers on Sunday, December 15, 2019.

“During the match, a hot drink was thrown at a player.

“The man is scheduled to appear at the Hamilton Sheriff Court on Wednesday, January 29, 2020.”

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Arsenal new boy Stephan Lichtsteiner is the third Swiss player to face a suspension for their controversial celebration during the World Cup.

Fellow Gunners midfielder Granit Xhaka, along with Stoke winger Xherdan Shaqiri, were already facing a two match ban for their gestures against Serbia, plus a minimum £3,800 fine.

The charge comes after the trio all crossed their wrists together and linked thumbs to create the image of an eagle- which is the symbol of Albania – after a goal during their side’s 2-1 victory.

Shaqiri and Xhaka have Albanian or Kosovan roots, while Lichtsteiner doesn’t but appears to have joined the cause, as originally reported by Football.London.

A FIFA statement said: “The FIFA Disciplinary Committe has opened disciplinary proceedings against the Swiss player Stephan Lichtsteiner for a goal celebration during the match Switzerland vs Serbia.

“In relation to the same match, disciplinary proceedings have been opened against the President of the Serbian FA Slavisa Kokeza as well as the national coach Mladen Krstajic for statements made in the aftermath of the said match.”

It seems the Swiss players could have fallen foul of ‘Provoking the public’ and the suggested punishment is ‘Anyone who provokes the general public during a match will be suspended for two matches and sanctioned with a minimum fine of CHF 5,000.’

The bans would not affect the availability of either player at club level.

Full-back Lichtsteiner defended the celebration of his compatriots after the match.

He said: “”We had a lot of pressure, it was not an easy game for us.

“We have a lot of Albanians, so there is a lot of history between Serbia and Albania. It was a very tough game for them mentally.

“It was good. Why not? This is the history for them. The war between them was so difficult. I spoke to the father of one of our players who is Albanian, and he told me about this history. This is more than football. This is more than football because they have this period, this war that gave them both big problems.

“I understand them. I think it’s normal, it’s part of their life. There was also big provocation ahead of the game from them [Serbia], so I think it’s normal.”

Arsenal new boy Stephan Lichtsteiner is the third Swiss player to face a suspension for their controversial celebration during the World Cup.

Fellow Gunners midfielder Granit Xhaka, along with Stoke winger Xherdan Shaqiri, were already facing a two match ban for their gestures against Serbia, plus a minimum £3,800 fine.

The charge comes after the trio all crossed their wrists together and linked thumbs to create the image of an eagle- which is the symbol of Albania – after a goal during their side’s 2-1 victory.

Shaqiri and Xhaka have Albanian or Kosovan roots, while Lichtsteiner doesn’t but appears to have joined the cause, as originally reported by Football.London.

A FIFA statement said: “The FIFA Disciplinary Committe has opened disciplinary proceedings against the Swiss player Stephan Lichtsteiner for a goal celebration during the match Switzerland vs Serbia.

“In relation to the same match, disciplinary proceedings have been opened against the President of the Serbian FA Slavisa Kokeza as well as the national coach Mladen Krstajic for statements made in the aftermath of the said match.”

It seems the Swiss players could have fallen foul of ‘Provoking the public’ and the suggested punishment is ‘Anyone who provokes the general public during a match will be suspended for two matches and sanctioned with a minimum fine of CHF 5,000.’

The bans would not affect the availability of either player at club level.

Full-back Lichtsteiner defended the celebration of his compatriots after the match.

He said: “”We had a lot of pressure, it was not an easy game for us.

“We have a lot of Albanians, so there is a lot of history between Serbia and Albania. It was a very tough game for them mentally.

“It was good. Why not? This is the history for them. The war between them was so difficult. I spoke to the father of one of our players who is Albanian, and he told me about this history. This is more than football. This is more than football because they have this period, this war that gave them both big problems.

“I understand them. I think it’s normal, it’s part of their life. There was also big provocation ahead of the game from them [Serbia], so I think it’s normal.”

At a recent World Cup warm-up match at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Mexico’s national football team was missing one of its biggest stars: Rafael Marquez, the team’s captain and a legendary defender.

Marquez, a four-time World Cup veteran, was sanctioned by the US Treasury Department last year for allegedly aiding a powerful Mexican drug trafficker. His bank accounts were frozen in the US and Mexico and he was placed on a blacklist that bans Americans and US-based companies from doing business with him.

The sanctions also bar him from playing in the United States, his lawyer told ESPN last year.

Marquez, 39, who is affectionately known as Rafa, has denied allegations that he and two associates used several businesses to hold assets for Raul Flores Hernandez, a drug lord allied with the notorious Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation drug cartels.

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But his presence on Mexico’s national team has raised eyebrows, with some saying it is unseemly for Mexico, a country plagued by corruption and historic levels of drug-related violence, to employ a player accused of laundering cash for a drug kingpin.

LAURENCE GRIFFITHS/GETTY IMAGES

Rafael Marquez is a beloved player in Mexico.

“It is incredible that the authorities are allowing a person who is accused of money laundering to go and play a World Cup as if nothing happened,” said Raul Rodriguez, a 32-year-old chef in Mexico City.

“That impunity only happens in Mexico,” Rodriguez said. “If you or someone who is not famous had cheated, they would put you in jail.”

For the most part, though, Mexicans have embraced Marquez, who is poised to become one of only a handful of players to play in five World Cups on Sunday when Mexico takes on Germany in its first match.

At a ceremony at Mexico’s presidential palace two weeks ago, Marquez personally presented one of the team’s green World Cup jerseys to President Enrique Pena Nieto – who himself has been accused by Mexican journalists of corruption.

Supporters of Marquez emphasise that he has not been convicted of any crime – or even charged – and should not be prematurely penalised.

“Rafa is the soul of the national team, and if he is in trouble with the United States, we don’t care,” said Armando Diaz, a 43-year-old salesman in Mexico City.

“If he has problems with authorities, he can solve them later,” Diaz said. “Now he has to concentrate on the World Cup and play well so Mexico can win its games.”

Still, the sanctions have resulted in awkward moments, including Marquez’s absence during last month’s friendly against Wales, which ended in a draw.

The companies that sponsor Mexico’s national team appear alarmed by his inclusion on the roster, and have taken steps so that they don’t seem to be doing business with Marquez.

At practices this week in Russia, while the rest of the team wore jerseys featuring the logos of Coca-Cola and other sponsors, Marquez sported a plain version without any of the brand names.

A statement from the Mexican team explained that the logos were removed “in order to have Rafa Marquez focused 100 per cent on sports” and that the team made the decision after consulting with experts.

Marquez was one of 21 Mexican nationals sanctioned by the Treasury Department last August for alleged ties to Flores, who is accused of smuggling drugs and laundering money from his base in Jalisco state since the 1980s.

Among those who also saw his assets frozen was Julio Cesar Alvarez Montelongo, a norteno band leader once praised by Pena Nieto as “a great example for Mexican youth”.

Several businesses associated with Marquez were sanctioned, including a football school that bears his name. The sanctions were a fall from grace for Marquez, whose stints with Barcelona, the New York Red Bulls and the Guadalajara club Atlas made him Mexican sports royalty.

He had a reputation as a philanthropist in Jalisco and in his native state of Michoacan, and had been working on creating a union for players in Mexico’s national football league. Many thought he had a future in Mexico’s football federation, or even in politics.

Jose Contreras, a 37-year-old architect, said he thought Marquez was allowed to play because the Mexican team needed him. It has not been performing well and earlier this month lost 2-0 in a friendly with Denmark.

“The national team is playing so badly that surely the managers did the impossible for him to play,” Contreras said. “The accusations against him are a shame because people in Mexico love him a lot.”

 – MCT

Updated

May 03, 2018 07:27:36

The AFL world has reacted with shock to former AFL champion and premiership-winning coach Mark ‘Bomber’ Thompson being charged with drug trafficking and possession.

The 54-year-old was arrested and charged on Tuesday almost five months after police executed a warrant at his Port Melbourne home.

The Melbourne Magistrates’ Court heard that a range of drugs, including 134.6 grams of ecstasy, 33.1 grams of methyl amphetamine, an LSD tab, 5.6 grams of ephedrine and multiple Xanax tablets were found in a locked bedroom and loft study area inside the house.

Former Essendon champion Tim Watson, who played with Thompson at the Bombers and whose son Jobe was coached by Thompson at Essendon, said he was “in a state of disbelief” about the news.

“I can’t comprehend that the person that I played football with … could find himself in a situation that he’s found himself in now,” Watson said on SEN radio.

Watson said he had not spoken to Thompson much in recent years, but contacted him about a month ago to suggest they catch up for a coffee.

“There’s been a lot of us that have been concerned about him and I thought ‘OK, well it’s time to reach out and hopefully catch up’.

“I didn’t ever hear back from him but that is consistent with a lot of other people too.”

Watson said Thompson felt aggrieved about the Essendon supplements saga.

In 2013, the AFL charged Thompson along with Essendon senior coach James Hird, football manager Danny Corcoran and club doctor Bruce Reid with bringing the game into disrepute.

Thompson was fined $30,000 for his role in the affair.

“He was never able to put that behind him,” Watson said on Wednesday.

Jimmy Bartel, who played in the Geelong teams that Thompson coached to win the 2007 and 2009 AFL premierships, said he was saddened and upset by the news of the charges.

“He coached me for the first nine years of my career and completely shaped the way I played football,” Bartel said on Macquarie Sports Radio.

“The success I shared with him and the other coaches and players at Geelong is a massive part of my life.

“I’m sad and upset, and I feel sorry for his family because they’re the ones who have to go through it more than us,” he said.

Cameron Mooney, who was also a member of the premiership-winning Geelong sides, said Thompson had been a father figure to players.

“A lot of us got to the footy club at 18 or 20 years of age, and he was our father for ten years, helped us grow to men, taught us to play football, and we got the ultimate two premierships underneath him,” Mooney told Macquarie Sports Radio.

Thompson apologises to supporters

Outside his Port Melbourne home, Thompson was asked by reporters if he had a message to his supporters.

“Just tell them that I’m sorry that they’ve put up with this, put up with me,” he said.

“But hopefully we’ll get through it.”

He then rode away from the media pack on a bike.

Prosecution argues Thompson ‘a flight risk’

Thompson has been charged with two counts of trafficking ecstasy and trafficking methyl amphetamine.

He has also been charged with possessing amphetamine, ecstasy and LSD, and possessing prescription drugs without a prescription.

Three other people were charged in January following the police search of Thompson’s property.

Thompson appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday and was granted bail on a $20,000 surety.

He was asked to surrender his passport and cannot leave Australia.

He must also report to South Melbourne police station three times a week, and not consume any drugs of dependence or communicate with his alleged co-accused.

During the bail application hearing, police prosecutors argued against granting him bail.

Detective Senior Constable Naomi Bourke told the court Thompson was a flight risk because he had access to large amounts of money and a yacht.

Thompson’s lawyer, David Hallowes SC, argued that bail should be granted, emphasising Thompson’s family ties to Melbourne.

Mr Hallowes said the charges would be vigorously denied.

As he left the court, Thompson would not comment on the charges.

“It was a big day and hopefully we get our chance to fight them,” he said.

Before winning two flags as a coach at Geelong, Thompson played 202 games for the Bombers, captaining the club and winning three premierships.

He returned to Essendon as an assistant under James Hird during the club’s disastrous supplements program, which saw 34 players suspended by anti-doping authorities.

Thompson took over the senior role for one season in 2014 while Hird served an AFL-imposed ban for bringing the game into disrepute, and left the club at the end of that year.

He will return to court on May 25.

Topics:

law-crime-and-justice,

courts-and-trials,

sport,

australian-football-league,

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First posted

May 02, 2018 13:33:07

Bahram Hojreh. Photo Courtesy: Rose Palmisano, Orange County Register/SCNG

By Michael Randazzo, Swimming World Contributor

Multiple news outlets in the Los Angeles area have reported that Bahram Hojreh, a prominent Southern California youth water polo coach, has been accused of sexually abusing seven of his female players in Los Alamitos, CA.

Sean Emery and Dan Albano of the Ocean County Register report that the 42-year-old Hojreh faces nearly two-dozen felony and misdemeanor charges, including lewd acts upon a child, sexual penetration of a minor with a foreign object, child annoyance and sexual battery.

According to the indictment handed down by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, the assaults allegedly occurred between September 2014 and January 2018 when Hojreh was coaching at the International Water Polo Club in Los Alamitos. Prosecutors suggest the abuse took place during one-on-one coaching sessions between Hojreh and his players, four of whom were 15 years old or younger at the time.

In comments to the Ocean County Register, Ricardo Nicol, Hojreh’s attorney, said his client “adamantly denies” the allegations. Nicol noted that his client has no prior record of improper behavior.

“A guy that has been involved in the sport for 30 years, who has an impeccable reputation, who has been entrusted with hundreds, if not thousands, of kids, he suddenly becomes a serial groper in the pool?” Nicol said. “Hopefully the truth wins out. But to me, there is something here that is not adding up.”

The arrest was noted in an email sent last night from USA Water Polo CEO, Christopher Ramsey to members of his organization, the governing body for the sport in America.

“We first learned of the allegations against Bahram Hojreh from the US Center for SafeSport in January, to which the allegations had been initially reported, and promptly suspended Mr. Hojreh from USAWP membership, including his seat on a regional board,” Ramsey’s email stated. “At that time, the Center also noted the suspension on their public database while their investigation into Mr. Hojreh’s conduct continued.”

He further explained the Center for SafeSport was specifically established to respond to allegations such as those made against suspected abusers like Hojreh.

“We fully support the Center in its efforts and fully cooperate with the Center in enforcing any sanctions that the Center may impose,” Ramsey added.

The US Center for SafeSport is a national nonprofit organization providing education, resources and training to promote respect and prevent abuse in sport. Adopted in 2012 by the United States Olympics Committee, SafeSport procedures have become standard training for any professionals and volunteers working with the 47 National Governing Bodies and 34 Multi-Sport Organizations—with a combined reach of 73 million members—that the USOC regulates.

In the wake of the Larry Nassar scandal at USA Gymnastics, which has seen its senior leadership forced to resign as a result of mishandling numerous sexual abuse allegations against Nassar, the organization’s team physician, many U.S. youth athletics organizations have re-examined their procedures for protecting members from sexual abuse. In response to an investigation by the Southern California News Group, USA Swimming President and CEO Tim Hinchey acknowledged lax oversight of abuse that occurred over decades.

For USA Water Polo, which has previously avoided the scandals that have negatively impacted its USOC brethren, the Hojreh accusations are a serious transgression that will likely cause the organization to examine how a coach who had risen to a relatively prominent regional position may have sexually violated his players.

“USA Water Polo has zero tolerance for sexual misconduct,” Ramsey said in his statement. For the sake of the organization’s 45,000 members, it’s imperative that USA Water Polo quickly touch bottom on the Hojreh situation.

March 28, 2018

Ireland and Ulster rugby players Paddy Jackson, 25, and Stuart Olding, 25, were today acquitted of rape charges in Belfast Crown Court

Both had denied raping the same woman in Jackson’s house in the early hours of 28 June 2016.

Paddy Jackson, 25, was found not guilty of rape and penetrative sexual assault. Stuart Olding, 25, was found not guilty of rape.
Rory Harrison, 25, was found not guilty of charges of perverting the curse of justice and withholding information. Blane McIlroy, 26, was found not guilty of exposing his genitals.

The four had been charged that they had committed various offences between 27 June and 1 July in 2016.

The eleven-person jury, eight men and four women, was sent out by Judge Patricia Smyth at 10.30am on Tuesday and returned today (Wednesday morning) after a nine-week trial. When the trial opened on 30 January 12 jurors were originally sworn in – nine men and three women but this was reduced to 11 jurors after one juror was discharged due to illness.

They had deliberated for three hours and forty-five minutes before returning their verdict.

The jury heard from the 21-year-old complainant who spent over eight days in the witness box and heard how police interviewed the four rugby players at Musgrave Street PSNI station in Belfast on 25 separate occasions between June and October 2016, a total of 17 hours and 34 minutes.

A total of 31 witnesses gave evidence including medical experts, character witnesses and leading barristers.

The witnesses also included 10 police officers, two doctors, a forensic scientist and a taxi driver who had driven the woman home on the night of the alleged rape.

The long road to Belfast Agreement

March 15 (UPI) — A professional poker player was indicted for wire fraud Thursday, accused of bilking investors out of more than $6 million in a scheme involving Super Bowl and World Cup tickets.

Federal prosecutors in California’s central district say Seyed Reza Ali Fazeli, 49, ran a bogus Las Vegas-based ticket business called Summit Entertainment, which he used to solicit investors in California, Texas and Nevada, promising big returns on the resale of tickets to the 2017 Super Bowl and the upcoming 2018 World Cup.

After investors wired more than $6 million to Ali, he “falsely told the victims that the ticket sales did not go well because the NFL prohibited their resale and that he was working on a settlement with the NFL,” prosecutors said.

But court documents show that Ali never purchased the tickets.

“Instead, he used the money for gambling expenses at the Aria and Bellagio casinos in Las Vegas and for personal expenses,” prosecutors said.

Ali was charged with two counts of wire fraud an faces up to 40 years in prison.

He also faces several civil lawsuits related to the ticket scheme, the Orange County Register reported.

This isn’t the first time Ali was involved in a high-dollar ticket-flipping scheme.

In 2006, he sold World Cup tickets online through onlinetickets.com. But those tickets were never received, resulting in a lawsuit and a $1,176,500 settlement against Ali.