A VIOLENT brawl could have ended the career of one of Scotland’s best young sportsmen.

Jan 22 2010 by Lisa Boyle, Ayrshire Post (main ed)

A VIOLENT brawl almost ended the career of one of Scotland’s best young sportsmen.

Willie Rowan thought his dad and uncle were going to be murdered during a melee at his own 18th birthday celebration.

Now he is fleeing the village where he was born and raised because his family are being targeted by mindless thugs.

The cricket star’s party ended in disaster when his family came under attack from village yobs – one of whom has a conviction for killing another man.

His dad and uncle were kicked and punched by a gang of thugs for almost seven minutes.

Dalmellington thugs Stephen Scally and Richard Bunyan were both jailed for the brutal attacks for 18 and 15 months respectively.

But international ace Willie has ended up with a criminal record over the horrific encounter and had the prospect of a jail sentence hanging over his head for months.

Willie, who plays for the Scotland A team, reacted badly when he walked into the 30 person riot in Boyd’s Bar in Dalmellington on April 18 last year.

He hit Richard Bunyan across the face with a glass in his hand.

But his so-called victim was one of the main players in the brutal attack on his family and friends.

And Willie is sure that he too was about to be assaulted.

Speaking to the Post, Willie said: “I knew these people were in and I had a horrible feeling something was going to happen.

“I don’t like the thought that I’ve inflicted injuries on him, regardless of who he is. I’m not that type of person.

“I’ve never been in a fight in my life and I’ve never been in trouble with the police.”

Willie pleaded guilty to assault at Ayr Sheriff Court this week and narrowly avoided a prison sentence.

The sheriff was told how Willie’s dad and uncle were having a cigarette in the beer garden of the bar when Stephen Scally appeared with a pool cue and for no reason launched a ferocious assault on Willie’s uncle.

As Willie’s dad desperately tried to pull his brother free from the beating, he was pulled to the ground and blows rained upon him.

As Willie heard what was happening he made his way to the beer garden and saw Richard Bunyan attacking his family.

In a split second, Willie smashed the glass over Bunyan’s face.

Willie continued: “I was disgusted that I could do that. I was just trying to protect my family but I do feel guilty.

“All motivation for my cricket has gone out the window over the last few months. I just felt like packing it in a few times. I wasn’t performing on the park because of the stress of it all. I’ve been thinking about it constantly, worrying what could have happened to me.”

Willie’s family have been targeted by Scally, Bunyan and their gang for years.

A decade ago, Willie’s dad was set upon and stabbed by a group of 13 yobs as he and his wife walked home from a night out.

And it’s not the first time Willie has been attacked by Bunyan, he was assaulted by the thug when he was just nine-years-old.

More recently, his living room windows, his gran’s windows and his uncle’s windows have all had bricks through them.

Bunyan, 26, who is permanently scarred after the melee, has 13 previous convictions – including one for culpable homicide.

In 2005, he dished out ecstasy tablets at a house party. Lifeguard Scott McSephney, 20, died after taking the pills.

Bunyan also has convictions for assault to severe injury and permanent disfigurement, breach of the peace with a hammer, drink driving, domestic assault and numerous breaches of the peace.

He has now been released early from prison.

And Willie says he’s getting out of Dalmellington.

He said: “I’m moving to Edinburgh. I can’t be here anymore, it’s too dangerous. If I went out on my own I’m sure I would be stabbed.

“I had been going down the pub with my pals now and again while Richard Bunyan was in jail, but there’s no way I can do that now that he’s out. If I went to the toilet myself he’d follow me in, I guarantee it.”

Cricket Scotland wrote to Willie while he was awaiting sentence and told him they would have to consider his future in Scottish cricket it he was sent to jail – the national team don’t want to play a man who has been to jail.

Willie has already been to Australia and the Netherlands with the national team. And he will jet off to India later this year.

He was part of the U17s team who won the European championships in 2007, and the U19s team that won the same competition in 2008.

Sentencing Willie to 140 hours of community service, Sheriff Miller said: “This is truly an exceptional set of circumstances. The use of a weapon would normally warrant a jail sentence, but it’s not appropriate in this case.”