BRIAN WILSON, Celtic’s interim chairman, has responded to an independent review of the unruly aftermath of the Scottish Cup quarter-final at Ibrox on March 8.
The SFA have published an analysis of the event which was marred at the end by a pitch invasion that erupted in violence with flares being fired into the visitors’ end of the stadium.
Martin O’Neill’s men and Danny Rohl’s side were forced into a penalty-kick shoot-out at the conclusion of an extra-time scoreless stalemate.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Auston Trusty, Reo Hatate and on-loan Tomas Cvancara slotted away their efforts, but the hosts, taking the kicks in front of their own fans after winning the toss, contrived to miss two.
Some Celtic fans came onto the field of play to celebrate and that sparked an angry response from the opposition support.
PITCH BATTLE…the unruly scenes at Ibrox after Celtic’s penalty-kick shoot-out triumph in the Scottish Cup quarter-final on March 8.
They raced onto the pitch and ran the full length before attempting to engage with the Hoops followers.
Police and stewards struggled to hold them back and there were some ugly scenes.
Bad feeling may have been simmering after the champions had come back from two goals adrift at the interval in the Premiership clash at the same venue the prevous weekend to gain a valuable point with Hatate forcing in the late leveller after Jack Butland had thwarted him at a penalty-kick and the first follow-up.
The Japanese midfielder persevered, though, and managed to squeeze the ball over the line to add to Kieran Tierney’s earlier header.
Responding to the report, stand-in supremo Wilson, in a club statement, said: “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.
SPOT ON…Tomas Cvanacara is a joy Bhoy as he sinks the crucial penalty-kick in the shoot-out at Ibrox to put Celtic into the Scottish Cup semi-final.
“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.”
Wilson added: “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.”
* YOU can read the full review report here.
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