Football today

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Horrendous scenes on the news from Glasgow after the final whistle and now from Glasgow city centre. As a non football fan, it blows my mind that people act this way but I am surprised the SFA didn’t foresee this. If I am not surprised at what’s been happening as a non fan, surely those in charge should have seen it coming and acted?

I am sure it was just a few weeks ago the police released CCTV images of fans they were wanting to trace after violence at another game - might have been Rangers fans. The pictures were all of middle aged men. Husbands, dads and granddads. Utterly abhorrent behaviour and I don’t understand why these games aren’t played behind closed doors with no fans. I know that wouldn’t prevent the violence in the city centre this evening but at least the staff and players on the pitch would have been safe.

Surely I can’t be the only one who had a feeling the day would end badly.

If you KNOW that your team winning means this city is getting smashed up and the streets made unsafe, why are you still celebrating? As someone who lives in Glasgow and has to deal with this crap when I'm just trying to get home from work, and whose council tax is paying for the clean up, I'm absolutely sick of this, and I really don't want to hear ANY fans gloat about their victory when this is what they are celebrating.

I heard this on the radio and wondered about it. Who decides how many tickets each set of fans can buy and on what basis? Is it normal to do it like this?

The referee confirmed that he’d blown the final whistle so maybe stop with all the “forfeit the game” nonsense, it’s embarrassing to read.

You know what else is embarrassing?

I think you are embarrassing yourself.

Considering at the time neither Martin O'Neil or Derek McInnes knew whether the ref had ended the game. And the sky commentators didn't know if the ref had finished the game or not it was hardly a clear and decisive end to the match.

Don't tell me you are trying to defend the behaviour of the Celtic fans invading the pitch?

I’m not familiar with rules in Scotland on it? I know the English have a minimum share for away fans and they usually allocate at least 1/4.

Having witnessed the Celtic fans’ behaviour, if I was that referee I would definitely say I had blown the whistle whether I had or not!

Personally, I don’t think I believe the referee.

I was actually just reading an ex referees opinion that Celtic should face a points deduction because of the pitch invasion. Unfortunately he is talking about a points deduction next season. Pity it can't be implemented this season because that would be real justice for Hearts!

Probably concerned for his own safety.

Can we bin the whole sport yet? Vile game played by knuckle-dragging Neanderthals watched my knuckle-dragging Neanderthals. I was not at all shocked to see the riot scenes.

It does seem dodgy. Sure it was 3-1 with a minute or less to go so unlikely to score two goals but it seems he blew the whistle as the fans were invading like they cut the game short and that shouldn’t be allowed.

When Martin O’Neil asked an official if the game was finished he was told there was a minute to go but now that’s told to be wrong info.

Full disclosure, I’m a Celtic fan.

The scenes on the pitch were an absolute disgrace. Toxic masculinity in full show was how my male workmate who was at the game described it. If our players have been treated the way the Hearts players were we’d have been outraged, it was a disgrace that they couldn’t acknowledge their own fans, let alone that they were accosted by idiots on the park. No one should ever feel unsafe at their place of work.

The Trongate celebrations started during Covid and have happened for the past 5 years - all be it that the numbers have dwindled - so it was entirely predictable. Celtic should be billed for the clean up operation and policing.

There was a report on the news today in Scotland about the increased amount of violence faced by teachers and classroom assistants in schools. There is an increasing problem with lack of accountability for anti-social behaviour. Both Celtic and Rangers haven’t taken on the worst elements of their support and so they just become emboldened and are a shame on the clubs and all the decent fans.

I stay in the East End and my heart sank when I saw the Police out putting up the barriers as I knew there would be trouble.

We have household bins collected once every 3 weeks. We have pools and leisure facilities closed indefinitely waiting for money for refurbishment. The Peoples Palace / Winter Gardens are closed waiting for money for refurbishment. We have a huge fucking issue with the M8 needing pulled down or rebuilt but don't have any money. We have declared a social housing emergency. We have historic buildings crumbling to nothing. We have the 5th highest council tax in Scotland.

WHY ARE WE PUTTING UP WITH THIS SHIT FROM A PAIR OF BLOODY FOOTBALL TEAMS - THE CLUBS SHOULD PAY FOR POLICING AND CLEAN UP OPS.

Oh, and just to add I am sick of every bloody road sign being painted over with the bloody football colours. Sometimes I need the directions! It is a hazard that is somehow seen as acceptable.

I’m a Celtic fan and it’s a bloody disgrace. A minority (which is still a very large number of people) have completely ruined the league win for me and many decent fans. It’s bloody embarrassing.

The problem is that bams are going to bam. I was in the station in town on Saturday afternoon with my DC (different reason!) and people were travelling in to the city to join the ‘party’ in the trongate, which the majority of decent fans were trying to avoid. So quite a number of these guys hadn’t even been at the game. That’s what big fans they were. My DH was at the game and ended up in a pub that has nothing to do with football, just to avoid the nonsense.

The Trongate celebrations started during Covid and have happened for the past 5 years - all be it that the numbers have dwindled - so it was entirely predictable. Celtic should be billed for the clean up operation and policing.

What the football “fans” got away with in Glasgow during COVID times was absolutely disgraceful. It gave the message the rules we were all living with didn’t apply to them.
I am embarrassed to be Scottish and I feel very sorry for ordinary residents of Glasgow (and yes it’s a Glasgow problem) who have to live with this on their doorstep

This gives me the absolute fucking rage. It’s pathetic. On my commute there are about 5 road signs which just keep changing colour. Absolute bellends.

I don’t know where I’ve defended anyone invading the pitch, nor am I embarrassed by not joining in the pile on. I’m secure enough to have my own opinion.

I’ve lived in Glasgow all my life and support the last team that actually won the league that wasn’t from Glasgow so I’ve got no bias in this, I just think people are going way over the top. Should they have been on the pitch? Absolutely not. Do I think a small group of fans from every other team would have done the same under the circumstances? Yes. So I don’t buy in to the massive anti-Celtic agenda being pushed by some media outlets.

@mohammedchungus
Not that I want to get into a one uppmanship type conversation but I might not live in Glasgow but I did live there for 40 years. I was married to a non league football referee, was a home and away supporter of a lower league football team for many years and am still a regular attended of football matches, albeit generally non league or lower league ones. So I do have an interest in Scottish football and some knowledge of what is acceptable and not acceptable behaviour by fans.

I 'm not a supporter of either Rangers or Celtic but in Old firms matches and when Celtic have played in European matches I generally support them to win. In fact it's partly because of this that I am so totally outraged and disappointed by the behaviour of the Celtic fans, not only in the pitch invasion in this match and their previous one, but in their overall behaviour over the last few seasons. And I am disgusted by Celtic as a club, and actually generally Rangers as a club, failure to accept responsibility and accountability for their fans behaviour .

This is not about an " anti celtic" agenda. It is about disgraceful and unacceptable behaviour by football fans.

@mohammedchungus Do I think a small group of fans from every other team would have done the same under the circumstances? Yes

That’s pretty depressing analysis of Scottish football in that case. How come other football leagues manage not to have neds trash their hometown in the event of their team winning?

ONeil was downplaying the carry on saying he didn't see anything,it was hyperbole etc.
That's pandering to one particular section of their support who are a law unto themselves.

Celtic FC would be raging if their players were surrounded by opposition fans and being accosted.

It shouldn't happen full stop regardless of any teams support they should not be on the pitch.

Still waiting to see similar scenes in north London after Arsenal winning the title last night…..or maybe they managed to have a great evening watching their team win without trashing the place…

I think part of the issue is that Celtic/Rangers fans were given free passes during Covid. May 2020: https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/sport/football/5607768/celtic-fans-nine-in-a-row-coronavirus-lockdown/ and March 2021: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-56307066

No arrests. So basically Police Scotland are sending out the message that football fans/thugs are above the law and can do what the hell they like. So they do.

@TipsyLaird also the SFA are lenient with the pair of them.