Celtic and Rangers were last night locked in a war of words after the SFA finally published the independent review into last season’s Scottish Cup shame game at Ibrox.
Both Old Firm clubs have been served with notices of complaint from the SFA and will now face disciplinary charges over the disgraceful scenes which marred the quarter-final tie in March.
After Celtic had won the match via a penalty shootout, a section of their supporters spilled on to the pitch, with Rangers fans then running on to retaliate.
Rival supporters clashed with police and stewards, with flares and other missiles also being thrown, and 37 arrests being made to date.
It was the first time a full allocation had been reinstated to 8,042 tickets for Celtic – the largest at an Old Firm derby since 2018.
The report, led by Mark Blackbourne, found that the four minutes and 28 seconds for Police Scotland to re-establish control was a period in which ‘life-threatening violence’ was possible.
It also found that there were ‘two near-miss incidents of the most serious kind’, relating to the threat of mass violent confrontation on the pitch, and the risk of a crush as Celtic fans stormed the gates and gained unauthorised access to the stadium.
The report also stressed the need for meaningful change to be enacted, likening the incident to the invasion of Wembley for the European Championships Final between England and Italy in 2021.
But there was no sign of peace on the horizon as Celtic and Rangers both swiftly released their own statements.
Whilst broadly welcoming the report, Celtic interim chairman Brian Wilson was unwilling to accept that the pitch invasion had been a key part of the problem.
Police urge supporters to leave the field after shameful scenes at Ibrox
Wilson also appeared to shift the blame back to Police Scotland over decisions that were taken with regards to their control of the match.
‘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,’ said Wilson.
‘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.
‘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.’
Rangers, meanwhile, believe the SFA’s handling of the match should have been under greater scrutiny, insisting that they have no desire to ever return to a full allocation of away tickets.
A Rangers club statement read: ‘While we support some of the report’s recommendations, we do not accept every finding or factual assertion it contains.
‘We have and will continue to raise concerns with the Scottish FA about significant aspects of the independent report.
‘We are concerned about the description and limited examination of the decision to allocate around 8,000 tickets to Celtic, which materially changed the risk profile of the fixture.
‘We raised safety concerns but were left in no doubt that the competition rule would be applied and the increased allocation was expected to proceed.
‘The independent review should have scrutinised the Scottish FA’s actions as robustly as those of clubs and other organisations. This is a significant omission.
‘The report also proposes a pathway towards a return to full away allocations between Rangers and Celtic. This was not part of the terms of reference of this report and does not reflect our position. We have no plans to restore historic Old Firm allocations at Ibrox.
‘Instead, we call on the Scottish FA to review its own ticket allocation rules and policies, and how they are implemented, in light of the lessons arising from this match.
Rangers supporters run towards the away end after the Scottish Cup tie
‘The report also raises wider questions about how safety and security are managed across Scottish football. Rangers supports stronger national coordination, structured supporter involvement and more effective legislative powers.
‘As part of that, we welcome the Scottish Government’s recent consultation on strengthening Football Banning Orders.
‘The police and the courts must have effective powers to address serious misconduct connected to football.
‘We expect tragedy abuse, including abuse concerning the Ibrox Disaster, to be explicitly addressed in any subsequent legislation.’
Ian Maxwell, Scottish FA chief executive, said: ‘On behalf of the board, I would like to thank the Review Lead, Mark Blackbourne, for producing such a comprehensive independent review and accompanying recommendations, which we will consider in full and seek to implement the stated recommendations in conjunction with relevant stakeholders.
‘Whilst this is now a live matter for an independent Judicial Panel to consider, the Scottish FA wishes to reiterate that the scenes witnessed during the cup tie, and subsequently investigated by our Review Lead, should have no place in our game.
‘We will work together with the SPFL, clubs, Police Scotland and Scottish Government to ensure no repeat of the events that tarnished the image and reputation of the game.
‘We will also seek to reassure the majority of fans who attend matches responsibly that showpiece occasions such as these should be enjoyed safely in future.’
