A MESSAGE congratulating loyalist killer Michael Stone for murdering three Catholics in the Milltown Massacre was shown on the big screen at English Championship club Bristol City.
The message, which was phrased as a note of congratulations for a football victory, was displayed at the club's Ashton Gate ground at half time during their defeat to Burnley on Saturday.
The club has since apologised for the error, saying it will review its checking procedures to avoid a similar incident in future.
Milltown attack
Images of the message on the big screen were shared on social media in the wake of City's 2-1 home defeat to champions Burnley.
It read: "Congratulations Michael Stone on beating Milltown 3-0 in the cup final — from dad!"
The innocuous-looking message was in fact a reference to Stone's murder of three Catholics at Milltown Cemetery on March 16, 1988.
The innocuous-looking message was a reference to 1988's Milltown Massacre (Image: photo supplied)During the funeral of three IRA members shot in Gibraltar two weeks earlier, Stone attacked mourners with hand grenades.
As he fled the scene, a group of mourners gave chase, only for Stone to open fire on his pursuers with a pistol, killing Thomas McErlean, 20, John Murray, 26, and Caoimhín Mac Brádaigh, 30.
More than 60 people were injured in the attack.
In 1989, Stone was sentenced to life in prison for the murders, but was released in 2000 under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement.
Apology
Following Saturday's game, Bristol City said the display of the message was a 'serious error'.
"Bristol City would like to sincerely apologise for any offence caused by a message displayed on the screen," read a statement.
"We acknowledge that this was a serious error and the message that was sent into the club, one of many messages received and displayed on match days during the season, should never have got through our checking procedures.
"We will now review those processes and take every step to avoid something like this happening again."
Security guards wrestle a pistol from Stone's hand after his attempt to murder Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness at Stormont in 2006 (Image: PETER MUHLY/AFP via Getty Images)At his 1989 trial, Stone was also convicted of shooting three other Catholics prior to his attack at Milltown Cemetery.
Six years after his release, in November 2006, he attempted to enter Stormont armed with an array of weapons including a pistol, pipe bombs, a knife, axe and garrotte.
He was arrested and later found guilty of attempting to murder Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness and Gerry Adams, despite his defence that the incident was a piece of performance art.
He was jailed for 16 years in December 2008 before being released on parole in 2021.
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