Celtic have defended their fans over an on-pitch clash against Ibrox, while Rangers have condemned the brawl after the Scottish Cup quarter-final.
Both clubs have broken their silence following Celtic’s penalty shootout win on Sunday, which saw fans from both teams enter the pitch in the aftermath.
This comes after the Scottish Football Association announced that an independent inquiry had been commissioned to look into matchday safety and security operations while compliance officers collated evidence relating to the derby match.
Police Scotland Chief Constable Joe Farrell on Wednesday criticized both clubs for not speaking out sooner, at a time when the Scottish First Minister also criticized them.
Celtic’s interim chairman Brian Wilson refused to blame the club’s supporters, citing other instances of fans “spilling” onto the pitch in celebration.
Ibrox police had to separate Rangers and Celtic fans after they entered the pitch
Wilson told Celtic TV: “It was a fantastic result and all the Celtic supporters were delighted with it. It’s unfortunate that what happened after the game overshadowed the outcome and the great spirit and resilience that the players showed to achieve it, as well as the management skills of Martin and his team.”
“We were disappointed by the Chief Constable’s (Police Scotland) comments. She is probably aware that Celtic works closely with Police Scotland. We respect the role of the Safety Advisory Group and act against individuals and groups where there is evidence of unacceptable behavior. Measuring reactions from statements of condemnation is actually not very accurate. If this could be resolved by a statement of condemnation, this would have been resolved decades ago.”
“In fact, it is the actions that matter, how we as a club deal with these experiences and how others treat these experiences.
“I think if you’re looking for a condemnation you should be more specific, and I’m certainly willing to condemn or regret it, but perhaps the most high-profile moment in this case was after the penalty was given and Celtic won.
Tomas Kvankala scores the winning penalty against Rangers
“What you got there was a euphoric response from our supporters. That’s not unusual. In fact, spills on the pitch have happened quite often in Scottish football this season alone, and that in itself would not normally elicit expressions of condemnation.”
“So what I would say on this matter is, we welcome the SFA’s intention to conduct a full investigation, so let’s take a look at the evidence.
“If there is evidence of violence or threats of violence, of course I condemn it, but let’s examine the evidence before we create a false story.”
Rangers: Ibrox failure is unacceptable and unequivocally condemned
Rangers, meanwhile, condemned the clash and said: “Everyone must be prepared to face appropriate scrutiny.”
Rangers said they would “strongly represent the club and its supporters” when cooperating with the authorities.
Spectators arrive on the pitch from both ends of Ibrox
“The disruption that occurred on Sunday was unacceptable and we unequivocally condemn it,” the club said in a statement.
“There are currently a number of serious issues that require a proper investigation. We therefore agree that there should be a fully independent investigation into the events surrounding the match.”
“That review must be a thorough and wide-ranging examination of the decisions and actions of all those involved. It must include the broader circumstances surrounding this match, from the initial decision to allocate tickets to the series of post-match incidents.”
“All parties must be prepared to have their actions and decisions subject to appropriate scrutiny.”
Police made nine arrests on the day of the Old Firm clash, six of them inside Ibrox.
Rangers said fans identified and found guilty of offenses related to the match would face “appropriate sanctions” including “revocation of ticketing privileges and banning from the stadium.”
But Rangers added: “A narrative that completely ignores what happened is unacceptable.”
“We recognize that many fans want the club to have more say at this stage and supporters should be reassured that we understand the details of the issues being discussed and the questions being raised,” the statement continued.
“However, it is important that we respect the ongoing investigative and judicial processes and do nothing to prejudice them. There will be an appropriate time to fully address these matters.”
The statement added: “It is important that the reputation of Rangers supporters is treated fairly in this discussion.
“Tens of thousands of people gathered at Ibrox on Sunday to proudly cheer on their team and watch the football match.”
Use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
Police Scotland’s Greater Glasgow Chief Superintendent Emma Croft has insisted it is “unfeasible” to have large away crowds at Old Firm matches after fans clashed at Ibrox following Celtic’s Scottish Cup win over Rangers.
Rangers have condemned the “vile” and “vile” graffiti found at their stadium, referring to the January 1971 Ibrox disaster that claimed the lives of 66 supporters.
“What we can say now is that the issues of stadium safety and the legacy of the Ibrox disaster are deeply personal to this club,” the statement read.
“We were shocked to find graffiti in the stadium about that tragedy. The memory of the 66 supporters who lost their lives in January 1971 deserves dignity and respect. To desecrate their memory is despicable. It’s despicable. It’s a disgrace.”
“This is not a football rivalry or a joke. This is an abuse of a tragedy that claimed 66 lives.”
Celtic relay fan messages to inquiries
Wilson will meet with Celtic fans after the match and take their concerns about the enforcement of the match to the relevant authorities.
He added: “Again, this is part of an investigation by the SFA and I welcome that. We have met with the Celtic Supporters’ Association this week. The Celtic Supporters’ Association has a good reputation for not raising issues lightly. “They had serious concerns about access to the Broom Lawn Stand and a deviation from previous procedures that they believed were working well, and they also had real concerns about the safety of their supporters.”
“Again, we didn’t rush to issue a statement on that because we believe the way to deal with this issue is through discussions with the authorities, again through an evidence-based approach, to derive what went right and wrong and the lessons that need to be learned.”
“We take this matter very seriously and I can assure you there were people who had extensive experience attending these games and who had genuine concerns for the safety of our supporters.”
Wilson also offered the banned Green Brigade an olive branch to return to Celtic Park this season if they agree to requirements set out by the Safety Advisory Group.
