Latest news with #Watt
STV News
20 minutes ago
- Sport
- STV News
Man jailed for throwing glass bottle at Celtic goalkeeper during Old Firm match
A man who chucked a bottle at Celtic goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo during a derby match with Rangers has been jailed for eight months. Andrew Watt, 34, launched the missile at the Finnish international at Ibrox Stadium on May 4, 2025. 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 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.' 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 – you 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.' 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 into 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 off 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 ten months and handed a three-year football ban. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
Thug Rangers fan who hurled Buckfast bottle at Celtic star jailed after being identified by ‘distinctive white teeth'
The bottle was later handed to police officers by a Rangers substitute LOCKED UP Thug Rangers fan who hurled Buckfast bottle at Celtic star jailed after being identified by 'distinctive white teeth' Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A YOB who chucked a bottle at Celtic goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo during a derby match with Rangers has been jailed for eight months. Andrew Watt, 34, launched the missile at the Finnish international at Ibrox Stadium on May 4 2025. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 7 A bottle of Buckfast which was thrown onto the pitch by fans at Celtic's Viljami Sinisalo Credit: SNS 7 Viljami Sinisalo removes objects that were thrown on to the pitch. . 7 Andrew Watt was jailed for eight months after he admitted throwing a bottle Credit: 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." 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 - you victim was doing his job - the man was at his work. Rangers hero in with fans at Celtic game "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. 7 "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. 7 Viljami Sinisalo celebrates the title win Credit: Kenny Ramsay "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." 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. 7 "Watt could be identified by his build and distinctive white teeth." Watt later handed himself into 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. 7 "My client had been consuming alcohol on the morning off 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 f which saw him jailed for 10 months with a three-year football ban. Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
USA Today
18 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
PFF names Steelers' T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith NFL's best edge duo in 2025
Pro Football Focus has given the Steelers defense some well-deserved respect — more specifically, OLBs T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith. PFF's Zoltán Buday recently named the best duos for every position ahead of the 2025 season — with Watt and Highsmith taking the edge defenders spot: "While Highsmith was hindered by injuries last season, he was still among the most effective pass rushers in the league when on the field. His 89.3 PFF pass-rushing grade ranked seventh among 109 edge defenders. On the other hand, Watt led the position with a 90.3 PFF run-defense grade and ranked sixth in PFF pass-rushing grade (90.1), one spot ahead of Highsmith." Highsmith has been working with Nick Herbig so far this offseason — as Watt's contract holdout caused him to miss Steelers OTAs and mandatory minicamp. Watt's presence is sorely missed, and whenever (if at all) a deal gets done, he will look to pick up right where he left off opposite Highsmith. For up-to-date Steelers coverage, follow us on X @TheSteelersWire and give our Facebook page a like.
Newsweek
19 hours ago
- Sport
- Newsweek
Steelers Facing Potential Problem With TJ Watt's Contract
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. One of the biggest storylines in the NFL right now has to do with the Pittsburgh Steelers and their current contract situation with superstar pass rusher T.J. Watt. While the expectation has been and remains that the two sides will work out a new deal, it isn't coming easy. It's clear that there is some form of disagreement about what the value of the deal should be. Watt has been the face of the Steelers' defense and is now 30 years old. He still has a few good years left in his career and it seems very unlikely that he will leave town. However, the two sides have work to get done to make sure that is the case. T.J. Watt #90 of the Pittsburgh Steelers reacts after a play against the Cleveland Browns during the second half at Acrisure Stadium on September 18, 2023 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. T.J. Watt #90 of the Pittsburgh Steelers reacts after a play against the Cleveland Browns during the second half at Acrisure Stadium on September 18, 2023 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Photo byAs the situation continues to play out, there are many different opinions coming in from the media. Most recently, an NFL insider spoke out and revealed a potential issue for Pittsburgh with a new Watt deal. Read more: Steelers Already Linked to Shocking Move for Aaron Rodgers Replacement Jordan Palmer spoke out on the Bleacher Report YouTube channel and offered his opinion on the contract situation. He detailed one problem that he sees between the two sides. "The issue with this is a big swing with Aaron Rodgers. They know how important the defense is gonna be, they know they need T.J. Watt, and a deal is likely going to get done," he said. "But the Steelers' argument is this: that Watt and the defense kind of fell off a little bit the back end of last year." He continued on, noting the injury issues that Watt has had in recent years. Watt has been able to play through them, but is there risk to giving him a massive new deal? "He's had some injuries," Palmer stated. "He's battled through them. He's going to be 31 years old. Do you give $100 million guaranteed to somebody like that? I think that's where this battle's going to happen, but I think a deal is going to end up happening." Read more: Steelers Media Voice Fires Major Shot at Browns' Myles Garrett Those are very legitimate concerns from Palmer. They also could be exactly what has kept the Steelers from getting something done with Watt to this point. Last season, Watt played in 17 games. He racked up 61 tackles, 11.5 sacks, six forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and four defended passes. Keeping that production in town will be pivotal to competing for a Super Bowl. All of that being said, Pittsburgh has a tough decision to make. The two sides will continue talking and it will be interesting to see what happens when it comes to a new contract that keeps Watt in town for the rest of his career. For more Pittsburgh Steelers and NFL news, head over to Newsweek Sports.
USA Today
a day ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Texans punter Shane Lechler, DE J.J. Watt named to NFL All Quarter Century team
Texans punter Shane Lechler, DE J.J. Watt named to NFL All Quarter Century team The Houston Texans have been an above-average roster over the past several seasons and they've had some impactful players along the way. Perhaps bigger than defensive end J.J. Watt, who is expected to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer when the time comes in 2027. Who else deserves love? How about the punter that set up Houston's defense in the 2010s, Shane Lechler, a prominent figure in the locker room and around the league for decades. Well, ESPN believes he might be the G.O.A.T. of the 2000s in special teams. Aaron Schatz and Seth Walder unveiled their NFL All Quarter Century team, which includes a slew of Hall of Famers, future Hall of Famers and some of the most impactful players in the game. Technically, four players made the cut, but only two are known for their time in H-Town: does anyone really think of Houston star Ed Reed or Vince Wilfork? Watt is the first in a long line of promising defensive ends in Houston, where he established himself as perhaps the league's best past rusher for over five season. He spent 10 seasons with Houston, and reamins the franchise's all-time leader in tackles for loss (172) and sacks (101). Watt was named first-team All Pro five times and was selected to the Pro Bowl five times. He also earned Defensive Player of the Year three times, starting in 2012 after recording a franchise leading 20.5 sacks. "We wanted to save a spot for Watt because he can play as an edge rusher or interior lineman," Schatz wrote. "He is one of only three players in history to win Defensive Player of the Year three times, and he has the best plus-EPA of any player since 2000 (minimum 50 games)." "Another way to describe Watt's greatness is with a look at defeats. That's a metric that adds together turnovers, tackles for loss and plays that prevent a conversion on third or fourth down. There have been only a dozen seasons of more than 40 defeats since 1991. Watt has three of them, including a record 57 defeats in 2012." Lechler is widely considered the best punter of the new century and his consistency with hang time, arch angle, plus length of punt easily clears all other participants. He was only in Houston for five seasons, but it made the difference in helping Houston win multiple division titles. "One of the greatest and longest-tenured punters in NFL history, Lechler was named a first-team All-Pro in his rookie season. Throughout his 18-year career, he racked up more first-team All-Pro selections (six) than any other punter in NFL history (no one has had more than four). Lechler led the league in gross punt average in five seasons, and his career average in yards per punt is an NFL record for punters who have played over 120 games." The Texans open up the regular season on the road against the Los Angeles Rams.
