CLUB MUST DO THE RIGHT THING WITH HART

To hundreds of young Caley Thistle fans, popular midfielder Richie
Hart was a hero.

But this week, what standing he had as a role model for the youngsters
of the area is in tatters along with grave doubts about his future
with the Inverness club.

He will now have to live with the shame of his conviction for
possession of the class A drug cocaine found in his car at the
high-profile Rock Ness pop festival this summer.

Hart has protested in an interview with the Highland News that the
drug was not for his use and categorically denies he uses drugs. His
stance is that circumstances left him with no option but the plead
guilty.

Whether that is true or not, the stigma of the incident will be with
him for a long time to come. No matter how cosmopolitan Inverness may
have become in recent years along with proportionate increase in
problems such as drugs misuse, it still has almost a small town
attitude when it comes to high-profile figures being caught up in
scandals or incidents involving drink or drugs.

The response of the club has also been interesting. Caley Thistle
since its formation has striven to market itself as a family
orientated club, believing that the way to combat the Old Firm
stranglehold on loyalties and to build up its own fanbase is through
the youth of the area.

It could therefore ill afford to ignore Hart's conviction and moved
quickly to suspend him from playing and training pending internal
procedures. The club did include a sentence in its brief statement to
"reassure commercial partners, supporters and the public that the club
adopts a very firm stance in relation to the use and/or possession of
drugs".

It is rather disappointing that its spokesman refused to take the
opportunity when offered by the HN to elaborate on this. It is
important that the young are not given mixed messages about illegal
drugs.

Because of the nature of the game, footballers are young and often
immature. But whether they like it or not, SPL players are regarded by
young fans as role models and their responsibilities do not simply end
after 90 minutes on the pitch each week.

Many do get involved in youth and community work and initiatives and
should be applauded for that. But they also must take care in their
personal life while they are in the limelight for what is often in
career terms a very short working life.