Scots footballer John Herron has been suspended from a Northern Irish premiership side after he was snapped wearing a t-shirt bearing what appears to be a pro-IRA slogan.
The 28-year-old, from Coatbridge, has been dropped from Larne Football Club games until further notice after an image was circulated on social media showing him alongside Cliftonville player Ronan Hale. The picture, shared on Hale's Instagram profile, shows Herron in a t-shirt emblazoned with the colours of the Irish flag and the slogan "tiochfaidh ar la" in the shape of an assault rifle.
"Tiochfaidh ar la" is an Irish Gaelic slogan meaning "our day will come" which has been adopted as a rallying cry by Irish republicans. The shirt also has script referencing a chant that expresses support for the pro-republican paramilitary group the Irish Republican Army.
The picture was captioned: "Yes sirrr @johnherron88." Furious bosses at Larne FC issued a statement on Monday, a day after the picture was circulated on social media, confirming that Herron was suspended and is facing an investigation.
The statement read: "Following the circulation of an image online yesterday evening (Sunday), Larne Football Club can confirm John Herron has been suspended with immediate effect. For the period of his suspension, John will not represent the club in fixtures at any level. An investigation into this incident is now underway.
"We have shown that we are an inclusive football club for all, demonstrated not only in words but also by our extensive work in the local community. There is no room for behaviour which falls outside of this ethos and we fully expect members, players and anyone associated with the club to reflect these standards at all times.
"We will be making no further comment until the investigation has been completed."
Herron joined Larne in 2020 after transferring from Glentoran, where he made his Northern Irish Football League (NIFL) debut in 2018. Prior to joining the highest tier of Northern Irish football he had spells at Raith Rovers, Blackpool and Celtic, as well as loans out to Dunfermline Athletic and Cowdenbeath.
The midfielder also made multiple appearances for Scotland's national youth teams between 2009 and 2014. John Herron declined to comment when contacted by the Daily Record.
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