Levein is cool over ‘pest’ fan

"It’s a very insignificant course of events involving a very insignificant man," he said,

Lifelong Hearts fan Ian Kelman - who lives just 200 yards from Levein - has been warned by police after shouting abuse at the Tynecastle chief in the street.

It was the latest in a series of incidents in the Fife village of Crossford, near Dunfermline, where the pair both live.

Levein said Kelman, 55, had been "making a fool of himself", and said he went to the police before he was forced into doing "something silly". Kelman, a former sales executive, is alleged to have followed Levein into a shop and angrily accusing him of being "immature, insecure, childish and a coward".

Following a visit from officers, Kelman was also sent a letter by Fife Police Chief Superintendent Robert Thomson, which ordered him "not to approach or speak to Mr Levein ever again". Levein, 38, described his neighbour as a "nuisance fan and a pest".

He said: "I think he became incensed because I ignored him and refused to get involved in an argument with him. I thought the most sensible thing to do was let the police deal with it.

"He was making a nuisance of himself. The police said he admitted he had been out of order and promised to back off."

Kelman, a lifelong Hearts supporter, today claimed he was only trying to be friendly but admitted to yelling at Levein after being ignored.

He said: "The first time I asked him how the club was doing and offered my help because I have a business degree, but he said he didn’t want to speak to me. The second meeting, I demanded an explanation and followed him out to his car but he told me to go away and drove off."