What 'compounded' chaotic Rangers vs Celtic scenes as key issues in Old Firm disorder addressed
Rangers and Celtic’s clash in the Scottish Cup ended in disorder earlier this month.
Claims have been made over how the chaotic scenes at the most recent Rangers and Celtic clash this month unfolded have been explained.
The Hoops progressed from the Scottish Cup quarter-final clash at Ibrox as victors on penalty kicks. Both sets of supporters would soon end up on the pitch in chaotic scenes that were widely condemned, with the game marking a return to a full away capacity in the Old Firm. Recent Premiership matches have had attendances for travelling fans capped.
David Kennedy, the general secretary of the Scottish Police Federation, has provided an update on how it all unfolded at Ibrox. He claims that Celtic fans without tickets had ended up in the stadium and there were not enough police officers on hand to deal with what was unfolding.
How did Rangers vs Celtic pitch invasion happen?
Kennedy told The Herald: “What I’ve had confirmed is that there were too many Celtic fans in the Broomloan Stand. I don't think the police, not the officers on the ground, the commanders, were quick enough to realise what was going to take place. They weren't quick enough to realise what they needed to do to stop the Celtic fans coming onto the pitch. Undoubtedly, the Celtic fans only did what they did because of the way the match went with the penalties. That is what resulted in that surge of fans onto the park. It probably wouldn’t have happened otherwise.
“Some cops did have their batons out. But the reality is they needed two lines there to stop the surge. If it's not tight enough then people will just push through it and that is what happened. There's a lot of learning that will come from it. There were too many fans in the Broomloan Stand and the commanders weren't quick enough to recognise that. Then it was compounded by what transpired in the tie, by Celtic winning on penalties.”
“I have been told that police officers asked to go to level one, which means they would have had more protective equipment, such as helmets, on, and that request was refused. There was clearly a concern that if officers appeared with helmets and shields then that would have antagonised the crowd and made the situation even worse. That would have been part of the thought process.
What was impact of Rangers vs Celtic pitch invasion?
“There were several officers injured. I have had if confirmed to me that at least three officers got injured, but I know there were more. Health and safety investigations are now going to take place and then potentially claims against the police service. Over the last 10 to 15 years they've been trying to reduce the number of police officers and that is one of the main issues. There probably wasn't enough cops in the ground.
“Historically, we used to have a lot more. In fact, we used to have nearly double what was required. We don't have that now and that is obviously reflected in what they can and can't do. There's no reserve there any more. In the past, if I was policing a football match and I arrested somebody, somebody took my place. But now what happens is officers don't arrest.
“Over the years, they've increasingly been told, ‘Try not to arrest, let the club deal with it’. When you were in the reserve, you were sitting waiting to do something. The bean counters have said, ‘That's no use, we can’t have officers doing nothing, we're not having that’. But when something does happen you need them to be there and they're not there.”
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