Police condemn ‘shameful’ behaviour of Celtic and Rangers fans in Ibrox clashes

Police Scotland have condemned as “shameful” the behaviour of some supporters and said arrests have been made after clashes at the end of at the Scottish Cup quarter-final between Rangers and Celtic at Ibrox.Chief Superintendent Kate Stephen said: “The behaviour of a number of supporters at the Scottish Cup quarter-final between Rangers and Celtic at Ibrox today was shameful. It must be condemned by everyone involved in football and wider society.“A number of arrests have already been made, and Police Scotland will now work with both clubs and the Scottish Football Association [SFA] to carry out a robust investigation following the scenes on the pitch at the conclusion of the match.”“Officers and stewards were faced with extreme hostility and violence over a sustained period, with many individuals having armed themselves with items clearly intended to cause harm. Officers and members of the public have been injured in this despicable display, and I want to express my thanks to all officers and staff deployed.Celtic fans invade the pitch after their team won the penalty shootout. The visitors had their largest allocation for a game at Ibrox since 2018. Photograph: Steve Welsh/PA“The investigation will also include the actions of some supporters who entered the Broomloan Road stand without tickets before the match started, forcing delays in the security operation and the turnstiles to be closed for a period of time.“I would also urge anyone with information about who was involved in disorder before, during or after the match to get in touch with Police Scotland on 101.”Celtic won the tie 4-2 on penalties after a goalless draw, with dozens of fans from the away end spilling on to the pitch after the visitors’ winning spot-kick. That sparked an invasion from hundreds of Rangers supporters, with police and stewards moving to form a barrier on the pitch.There were 7,500 away fans in attendance at Ibrox for the game, with Celtic supporters given the full Broomloan Road Stand allocation for the first time since 2018, when it was first reduced to under 1,000 tickets.