Scottish Police have announced arrests have been made after an Old Firm pitch invasion, condemning the “despicable behavior” that took place at Ibrox after Celtic defeated Rangers on penalties in the Scottish Cup quarter-final.
A statement from Police Scotland also confirmed that they would be working with both Rangers and Celtic in a “thorough investigation” into the investigation, which also involved fans who entered the Broomlawn Road stand without a ticket before kick-off.
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.
Missiles were thrown as police and stewards moved to create a barrier between the two groups of fans. Order was then restored and the 7,500 Celtic supporters were left to celebrate alone.
Detective Superintendent Kate Stephen said: “The actions of a number of supporters during today’s 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.
“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.”
Use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
Celtic manager Martin O’Neill has reacted to crowd trouble after his side’s dramatic penalty shoot-out win over old rivals Rangers.
The Scottish FA immediately condemned the fans’ actions and said an “immediate investigation will take place”.
Mr. Roll condemns intrusion on fan pitch
“I wasn’t on the field at that moment. I hadn’t seen that before. I think we all know the emotional situation after a game. No one wants to see this,” Rangers manager Danny Rolle said in his post-game press conference.
“It was a great atmosphere for 120 minutes and that’s the way it should be. There shouldn’t be anything else in the stadium or in the football.”
Rangers manager Danny Rolle is disappointed after his side were knocked out of the Scottish Cup.
O’Neill explains more about pitch intrusion
Celtic players were escorted off the pitch as chaos continued, with manager Martin O’Neill providing further details after the game.
“It was an important derby game and I think there was a lot of jubilation when we won. The fans were in overflow and I think it’s going to be very difficult to quell that,” O’Neill said.
“On our way back, there was some kind of commotion and someone tried to enter the field. It’s unfortunate (the final scene), but I hope it doesn’t dilute the performance in terms of personality.”
“All I saw was a little scrum at the bottom. As you say, maybe that tainted the proceedings, but I think there was an element of self-defense in that.”
“I’m making a judgment based on only seeing half of it. From my point of view, this was a great win for us. Rangers were very strong and fought hard all week.”
Police lined up to stop fans from storming the pitch at Ibrox full-time
O’Neill fears pitch intrusion could overshadow Old Firm victory
On whether supporters’ invasion of the pitch would overshadow their victory, O’Neill added: “That’s a concern to me.
“The game itself is still an incredible game, but it lost a bit of its luster because away fans, or all away fans, weren’t allowed in.
“You never know what’s going to happen. I think for me today, including the crowd, it was a real Old Firm game in that sense. We’ll see what happens.”
Fans flood the pitch at full-time at Ibrox
Old Firm collides with ‘disgrace’, says Adam
Former Scotland international Charlie Adam called the pitch invasion a “disgrace” and said both supporters were disappointed at Ibrox.
“It’s a disgrace,” he told talkSPORT. “It’s a sad day for Scottish football.
“For the Old Firm talking about who we are, our leadership team and what they represent, it’s a disgrace to our game.
“And as a national team, we are trying to improve and we are trying to get even better. But these two clubs let us down as a country, so they have to look at themselves today.”
“Both football clubs have to look at themselves because they are the standard bearers of our football club and they too have both (sets of) supporters letting them down.
“This is a disgrace to Scottish football. It shouldn’t happen. It shouldn’t happen in this day and age and we have to get it under control quickly because if we don’t it’s going to escalate and we’re going to have big, big problems.”
