After Celtic beat the rangers in the Scottish Cup quarter-final at Ibrox on March 8 after a penalty shoot out, a small amount of Celtic Fans went onto the pitch to celebrate a famous win. Celtic came from 2 goals down before winning the penalty shoot out.
The sight of Celtic fans celebrating in Ibrox was just too much for a section of the rangers support who also came on to the pitch wearing balaclavas to attack the celebrating Celtic fans, players and staff. They had to run from one end of the pitch to the other to start the trouble.
After the game sections of the Scottish media tried their hardest to tar both sets of fans with the same brush which anyone who watched the scenes unfurl knew it was one set of fans celebrating and one set of fans looking for trouble. But the media in Scotland reported it to suit their agenda.
On Tuesday the SFA published a report on the game. Celtic’s interim Chairman Brian Wilson responded through the clubs official website.
“This is a thorough piece of work which provides all parties involved with food for thought and action.
“We welcome the repeated emphasis on the primacy of safety above all other considerations, a message consistent with Celtic’s approach in all it does.
“Celtic made its strong objections to important elements of matchday planning very clear, well in advance of the match.
“While we remain in dispute regarding certain points within this review, our club does not shrink from criticisms contained in the report or the lessons to be drawn. Nobody should, since the potential implications of disregarding them are obviously serious, both for safety and for football.
“We continue to believe that the non-violent incursion by a small number of Celtic supporters following the conclusion of the Scottish Cup quarter-final was not, in itself, a major or threatening incident.
“However, the actions by a section of the home support, some of them masked and carrying weapons, and subsequent attacks on our supporters and staff, were deeply concerning and we remain puzzled as to why the actions recommended by the Safety Advisory Group of Glasgow City Council were overturned at a senior level within Police Scotland.
“This has left a vacuum in the role previously understood by consent to be occupied by the Safety Advisory Group. Accordingly, we welcome the recommendation that the status of Safety Advisory Groups should be formalised and strengthened.
“While this was, of course, an away fixture for Celtic, we will seek to learn lessons of value to our own operations and co-operate fully with the authorities in doing so.”
Click Link to read full report
https://youtu.be/oZttcE2ypJ0?si=iK6rVSF6TYyRwi3t
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