Police Scotland condemn 'despicable' Rangers vs Celtic pitch invasion as 'robust investigation' launched
Police and steward formed a barricade between the two groups of supporters who had invaded the pitch after the penalty shoot-out
Police Scotland have confirmed a number of arrests have been made and fans left injured as Celtic and Rangers supporters clashed during ugly scenes following today’s Old Firm Scottish Cup tie at Ibrox.
Some of the 7,500 travelling supporters spilled onto the pitch in celebration after Martin O’Neill’s side triumphed 5-2 on penalties to advance to the semi-finals of the competition.
And the situation escalated further as Rangers fans at the opposite end of the stadium retaliated with pyrotechnics thrown and police forced to form a barricade to separate both sets of fans.
A update has been provided on the unsavoury post-match incident with Police Scotland’s Chief Supt Kate Stephen stating the behaviour of a number of supporters “must be condemned by everyone involved in football and wide society.”
She added: “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 robust investigation following the scenes on the pitch at the conclusion of the match.
“Officers and stewards were faced with extreme hostility and violence over a sustained period, with many individuals having armed themselves with items clearly intended to cause harm.
“Officers and members of the public have been injury in this despicable display and I want to express my thanks to all officers and staff deployed.”
This fixture marked the first time Celtic supporters had been given the full Broomloan Road Stand allocation since it was reduced to few than 1,000 tickets eight years ago. Since then, away allocations at both Ibrox and Parkhead have fluctuated.
Police also confirmed many Celtic fans had stormed into the Broomloan Stand without tickets, forcing delays to the security operation with turnstiles closed for a short period of time.
As things stand, Football Banning Orders (FBOs) are only imposed if supporters are involved in violence or disorder - enabling authorities to prevent fans attending games anywhere in the UK for 10 years.
There will be serious repercussions for both clubs, who have yet to officially comment on the unacceptable scenes.