Celtic eliminated Rangers in the Scottish Cup at Ibrox, but the match was marred by chaotic scenes where fans and police clashed on the pitch.
Police Scotland has issued a clear message ahead of the upcoming Celtic vs Rangers match (Image: (Steve Welsh/PA Wire))
Police Scotland has warned that large away quotas for Old Firm matches may not be sustainable following Sunday’s violent pitch invasion.
Celtic eliminated Rangers from the Scottish Cup after a tense penalty shootout win at Ibrox. Tomas Kvankala scored the decisive penalty, securing the Hoops’ place in next month’s Hampden semi-final against St Mirren.
More than 7,500 Celtic supporters filled the entire Broome Lawn Stand for the first time since 2018 after SFA leaders introduced Scottish Cup rules that give away teams the “right to request the admission of up to 20% of their supporters’ capacity.”
However, the high-profile event was marred by fans from both teams clashing on the pitch at the end of a frenetic afternoon. Smoke bombs were also thrown into the stands, injuring stewards and police officers.
read more: Picking fights and ridiculing victims – How shameful was the violence between Celtic and Rangers?read more: Former Celtic manager Gordon Strachan calls for action after ‘despicable’ Old Firm violence
Online footage also showed Celtic staff members being assaulted by home fans. Police have confirmed that nine people have been arrested so far, but this number is expected to rise significantly in the coming days.
Greater Glasgow Chief Inspector Emma Croft suggested the disturbing scenes could signal the end of traditional allocation.
Asked whether the big away allocation would be repeated, Croft told Sky Sports News: “I can’t comment on it because I didn’t make the decision, but I will say that we will play our part in that discussion.”
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Asked how seriously the troubles would affect future away attendance numbers, Croft said: “I would say this is going to influence and guide future discussions and probably put us in a situation where what happened yesterday could not have happened.”
“Our starting point, therefore, is that it is not possible to accommodate such numbers of away fans at the moment. I think the actions of the fans have set football back and put Scottish football in the wrong spotlight. I can understand why ordinary fans would be frustrated by that.”
Asked if he would allow such a number of attendees if he chose, he said: “No, I would not allow that at this time.”
Mr Croft revealed that “three or four” police officers were injured during the disturbance, but warned the number could rise.
Police asked to separate Celtic and Rangers fans after Scottish Cup match (Image: PA)
Despite this, Mr Croft insisted there were sufficient officers on the ground to deal with any potential conflict. She explained: “My view was that we had a sufficient number of police officers inside the stadium, with flexibility in their duties, and that there were also a significant number of police officers outside ready to support us.
“But I look at this in the context of 2026. I cannot afford to have a significant number of police officers. Club management should be in a position to respond and we will support them accordingly. I do not want to have more police officers in the stadium. I do not think that is the right thing to do.”
Asked if the trouble was inevitable, Mr Croft added: “My point is that we need to do more enforcement because I think good public behavior is the challenge going forward.
“So when we think about allocations for things like tickets and away fans, we need to consider what the police capacity and willingness is to support that activity and whether our priorities lie elsewhere.”
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