an'ony stokes old man arrested again !

[BLUEDIGNITY 33,647]

Well seen why lennon signed this player, all pals of the old brigade!

Father of Celtic star Anthony Stokes accused of threats to rival pub bosses

May 14 2011 Keith Mcleod

THE father of Celtic striker Anthony Stokes is to appear in court today accused of threats against rival pub bosses.

John Stokes, 54, whose bar was raided by cops last month, was arrested yesterday when he failed turn to turn up at a police station as arranged.

He is now expected to appear before a special sitting of Dublin District Court today, charged with extortion and making demands with menace.

Last month, Stokes was arrested as part of a major raid involving more than 100 police, including armed officers from specialist counter-terrorism units.

His bar, The Players Lounge, was searched during the operation and his wife Joan, 55, was also questioned.

The charges against Stokes, a member of the controversial 32-County Sovereignty Movement, allege that he demanded that Stephen and Shane Simpson close their Dublin pub, The Castle, last March.

The Simpson brothers subsequently shut the bar and told in interviews how they fled the country.

Stephen, 30, said: "Stokes wanted to close us down because we were a threat to his business."

The Players Lounge hit the headlines last year when a doorman was left fighting for life after being shot. At the time, Stokes said the gunman was part of a group who threatened staff after they were not allowed to come in.

Stokes was before the courts in March when he was forced to remove a 40-foot banner at the front of the pub that said the British royal family were not welcome to visit Ireland.

It read: "The Queen and all her family are barred from this pub. As long as the British occupy one inch of this island they will never be welcome in Ireland."

He said at the time that his 22-yearold son, who has won several international caps for the Republic of Ireland, had nothing to do with his stand.

The young footballer, who joined Celtic from Hibs, has no connection to criminality.

After the raid last month, both of his parents were held on suspicion of possessing firearms along with Paul Byrne, 46, an uncle of the footballer.

The trio were detained as part of an operation targeting dissident republican and organised criminal activity in the Irish capital.

All three family members were held in custody but later released without charge.

Pubs Serve Up A Double Pubs are to defy police advice and show both Celtic and Rangers games tomorrow.

Police had warned that trouble could break out between rival groups watching the matches which will decide the SPL title.

And they said any outbreaks of violence could affect pubs' licences.

But bosses at many pubs said they would go ahead and show the "Helicopter Sunday" matches simultaneously.

Several said they had plans for increased staffing to make sure the day passed peacefully.

[roidrager 10]

I read and laughed earlier, but he just owns a friendly bar for everyone that wants to frequent it, nice place, so nice you can return after getting attacked there, all friends

[King Jela 20,361]

Scum runs in the family.