Police Scotland will not support a new major away assignment for the next Old Firm match at this time following the troubles at Ibrox on Sunday.
Celtic defeated Rangers on penalties in the Scottish Cup quarter-finals, but the result led to supporters from both sides storming the pitch.
There are currently nine arrests, but Detective Superintendent Emma Croft of Police Scotland’s Greater Glasgow Station expects that number to rise “significantly”.
Celtic are due to host Rangers in the Scottish Premiership in the coming weeks, with around 2,500 fans expected to be allowed in attendance. This follows an agreement between the clubs to provide 5 per cent of stadium tickets when the league is held.
This number may be called into question, as it is unlikely that we will see Sunday’s increased allocation again in the future. The 7,500 away tickets given to Celtic for Sunday’s match at Ibrox were subject to Scottish Cup regulations.
In an interview with Sky Sports News, Croft was asked if big away assignments would be repeated: “I can’t comment on that because I didn’t make the decision, but I can say that we have a role to play in that discussion.”
Asked whether Sunday’s incident had damaged that outlook, he added: “I think it will influence and guide future discussions and probably put us in a situation where we can’t experience what happened (on Sunday). So our starting point is that the number of away fans is not possible at the moment.”
Police force fans back to Ibrox
Asked if he would allow him to attend if it were his decision, he answered, “No, I would not allow it at this time.”
Mr Croft acknowledged that “three or four” people had been injured by officers during the troubles, but he expected the number reported to be higher.
Asked whether there were enough police officers at the stadium to deal with a potential conflict, Mr Croft said: “My view was that there were enough police officers in the stadium, there was flexibility in the job description of the officers and a significant number of officers were ready to assist.”
“But I have put it in the context of 2026. I cannot afford to have a significant number of officials. The club management should be in a position to respond to that and we will support it accordingly.”
“I don’t want to put more police in the stadium. I don’t think that’s the right thing to do.”
What happened at Ibrox?
This will be the first Old Firm match at Ibrox since 2018, when Celtic packed the Broomlawn Stand, with around 7,500 away fans in attendance. This figure was agreed subject to Scottish Cup rules regarding ticket allocation.
Around 2,000 away fans attended last weekend’s league match between Rangers and Celtic, as there was an agreement between the clubs to give the away team around 5 per cent of the stadium’s capacity for this match.
What followed was a season in which quotas were reduced and away fans were no longer allowed to attend games.
Celtic progressed to the semi-finals with a 4-2 shootout win over Rangers after a goalless draw at Ibrox that led to supporters from both sides storming the pitch.
Fans stormed the pitch at Ibrox
Missiles were thrown as police and stewards moved to create a barrier between the two groups of fans. Fireworks were also used by those who invaded the pitch.
Order was then restored and the 7,500 Celtic supporters were left to celebrate alone.
Old Firm violence condemned
Prime Minister John Swinney said the incident was “completely and totally unacceptable” and police were “cooperating fully in tracing everyone involved in this incident”.
Superintendent Kate Stephen said: “The actions of a number of supporters during the Scottish Cup quarter-final match between Rangers and Celtic at Ibrox were disgraceful and must be condemned by everyone in the football community and wider society.”
“A number of arrests have already been made and Police Scotland will now work with both clubs and the Scottish Football Association to carry out a thorough investigation into the circumstances on the pitch at the end of the match.
“Officers and stewards were subjected to extreme hostility and violence over an extended period of time, with many armed with the clear intent of causing harm. Officers and members of the public were injured in this despicable act, and I would like to express my gratitude to all the officers and staff who were deployed.”
“The investigation also included the actions of some supporters who entered the Broomlawn Road stand without tickets before the match started, delaying security services and forcing the closure of turnstiles for a period of time.
Police lined up to stop fans from storming the pitch at Ibrox full-time
“I would also encourage anyone with information about who was involved in the disturbance before, during or after the match to contact Police Scotland on 101.”
The Scottish FA immediately condemned the fans’ actions and said an “immediate investigation will take place”.
