SCOTT BROWN has thanked supporters of both Rangers and Celtic for their show of support after he was subjected to sickening abuse when leaving Ibrox after the latest Old Firm fixture.
A 15-year-old Rangers supporter was arrested by police after being filmed shouting out to the Celtic captain “How’s your sister?” as he made his way to the team bus, a reference to Brown’s sister Fiona who passed away at the age of 21 from skin cancer.
Brown has revealed that he received a supportive email from Rangers after the incident, and he expressed gratitude at those fans of the Ibrox club who pointed out the perpetrator to the authorities.
“It was a nice touch from Rangers and the Rangers fans and Celtic fans as well,” Brown said.
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“[Rangers fans] pointed it out to the police. That was phenomenal from them.
"Fans from both sides were phenomenal to be honest.”
Brown has become accustomed to receiving such abuse on a day-to-day basis, believing that the blurred lines between social media and everyday life are emboldening supporters to think they won’t be held accountable for their actions.
Lamentably, the 34-year-old revealed that the incident outside of Ibrox was far from the first time he has been on the receiving end of such taunts about his late sibling, but he has vowed that he will continue to enjoy his football in the face of such abhorrent comments.
"You can shout and swear at me as much as you want on the park but don't go into detail off the park like that,” he said.
"It's not just one incident, it's happened over the last 12 years of my career. It's hard, it's sad and it shouldn't be happening.
“It’s hard because people can do it on Twitter and send it to you directly. It can be done on Instagram. It can be done or the street and no-one else can stop that.
“It’s one person with a daft 30 seconds which they may probably regret afterwards, but they said it and that’s the problem.
“You get it all the time walking down streets and on Twitter, it doesn’t bother you too much. You just walk away from them because there are a lot of people who could get tempted into doing something silly.
READ MORE: Scott Brown rules out return to national service to stay fresh for Celtic
“It’s part and parcel. It’s about being mentally strong. People can shout things and say things. I just focus on what I need to do. Here’s hoping that’s the end of it.
“It’s happened throughout my career now. I have got used to people shouting that and people saying that.
“I don’t really like to comment on it because it is something that still hurts me to this day.
“It shouldn’t be in football, but it is. For me, it’s about how I go on and prove everyone wrong. I just keep playing football with a smile on my face and, hopefully, it doesn’t happen to anyone else.
“It is not a nice thing because you never know what could happen with your family or who it can happen to.
“What’s happened to me has happened to a lot of other people as well. It’s not just about me. It’s happening with other players.
“It is not a nice thing to be said. But it’s what happened and it’s about how you deal with it.”
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