Glasgow Clan suspend coach after signing player charged with sexual assault in US

Glasgow Clan have suspended chief executive Gareth Chalmers and head coach Malcolm Cameron following the aborted signing of a player accused of sexual assault in the US.

33-year-old Lasse Uusivirta was charged in 2013 while a student at the University of Alabama in Hunstville, United States.

He then returned to Finland and, although prosecutors said at the time they would not seek his extradition, the charge would be reinstated should he ever return.

Fans reacted angrily

Uusivirta has since played in Germany, Austria, Denmark and Italy.

Clan revealed the arrival of Uusivirta on Thursday, only to announce three hours later that the move had been scrapped after fans reacted angrily to a video interview on the ice hockey team's website, which was then removed.

"Major situation"

A statement from club chairman Neil Black said:

“At 1945 last night. I was made aware for the first time of a major situation which merits further internal investigation and this has led to the immediate suspension of both the Clan chief executive Gareth Chalmers and the Clan head coach Malcolm Cameron.”

"It was instantly devastating"

The Clan are due to play tonight but many fans have taken to social media to say they will not be supporting the team.

Shar Doherty is a long-time Clan fan and also a survivor of rape, she told us: "It was instantly devastating. I was crying and shaking when I heard. Hockey has always been my safe space and I've put a lot of love and money into the Club over the years and it feels as if that's been taken away.

"I knew that there would be other survivors feeling the way I felt and many people have told me it's triggered their PTSD. This is being felt league wide, not just Clan fans.

"It can't be recovered quickly. There has to be a change in culture. There has to be a league wide change. It has to be zero tolerance and I would like to see them make a genuine outreach to charities but there is no quick fix."

Uusivirta denied the accusations in an earlier interview with the club.

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