Advertisement

Richard Foster reveals 'sectarian abuse' provoked heated row with Partick Thistle fan

Richard Foster reveals 'sectarian abuse' provoked heated row with Partick Thistle fan
Richard Foster reveals 'sectarian abuse' provoked heated row with Partick Thistle fan

RICHARD FOSTER has revealed that his bust-up with a Partick Thistle fan last week was due to "sectarian" abuse aimed his way.

On Friday night, the experienced right-back was filmed in a heated exchange with a Jags fan on the terraces at Somerset Park.

It was a bad evening on the pitch for Ian McCall's men, with Thistle 2-0 at half-time, before eventually losing 3-1 on the final matchday of the regular Championship season.

Foster had to be restrained by his team-mates to stop him getting any closer to the Thistle fan who made the alleged comments.

While Foster admits it was silly of him to react, the sectarian abuse and comments about his wife, Amy MacDonald, meant that the shouts had crossed the line.

He told PLZ Soccer: “It was stupid if me to react, because that’s exactly what they were doing; trying to get one of us to react.

“Some of the stuff and not just directed at me, but the whole team, was outrageous. Stuff you'd get arrested or battered for in the street.

“I heard a couple of things and thought: ‘I’m not taking that from a Partick Thistle fan'.

“It was stupid from me to react but some of the stuff was ridiculous. I don’t even know why you would think: ‘I’m going to say that to one of my own players.’

“Then they expect me to come out for the second half and be like: ‘Aw great, I can't wait for the second half and really try and play well now!' It’s just a strange, strange mindset.

“But first and foremost, I shouldn’t have reacted, but people tend to know that I'm so passionate when I’m playing and when I’m getting beat, I’m not happy and I react probably more easily than I do when I’m winning.

“Some of the stuff he said, it was only after the fact I heard the stuff about Amy. But before that, I heard the sectarian stuff and that’s what changed it.

“You can't see it in the video but I’m walking away from him, then I hear that. It was the wrong thing I heard at the wrong time and I just reacted to it.

“It wasn’t and it’s never nice to hear, particularly because it was said to me by one of my own fans. It wasn’t a great evening.”