GRAEME McGARRY

Gers need to keep up the pace to pose Old Firm rivals real problems

NOT since Bruce Banner was exposed to the radiation that turned him into the Incredible Hulk has there been such a transformative effect on a person’s behaviour as when someone places a football scarf around their neck.

At least, that’s what some of the reaction to the news that there will be two semi-finals in one day at Hampden would have you believe. And for too long, so too have the authorities, both within the sport and without.

Now, don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I think hosting four of the best-supported clubs in the country staggered throughout the course of an afternoon and evening is a good idea, and the fact is that the supporters seemed to have been near the bottom of the list of considerations. The difficulties that some will have in getting to and from the national stadium – if they are able to get there at all now – has certainly taken a little lustre off the occasion.

It also appears that despite Neil Doncaster’s assurances on Thursday that all parties had been consulted, the subsequent statements issued by Hearts and Aberdeen would suggest that the extent of their consultation was the SPFL getting in touch and saying; ‘that’s you telt’.

You know that your reputation as a well-run organisation that maintains the trust of the public may be on somewhat shaky ground when even Scotrail feels they are in a position to have a pop at you. A day late, of course, but still.

Their revelations yesterday that they weren’t consulted prior to the announcement just lend credence to Hearts manager Craig Levein’s assertion that the timing of the matches will discourage fans from attending.

So, I am in no way suggesting here that the decision had much to do with supporters at all, far less that it was a great show of faith in football fans that they can behave like ordinary members of the public.

But notwithstanding the motives or the other reasons why hosting these two matches at the same stadium on the same day may be a bad idea, I don’t think that concerns over the potential for running battles in the streets of Glasgow should necessarily be top of the list.

Will there be trouble in the city centre and at the games? Almost certainly. There always is some level of disorder at any major event, let alone a major football match. There will be people getting steaming drunk, and there will no doubt be the odd scrap.

But when was the last time there was genuine large-scale disorder at a football match in Scotland? The pitch invasion at the end of the Scottish Cup Final in 2016 perhaps, when Hibernian defeated Rangers with a last-gasp goal and supporters poured onto the pitch.

But while that was far from the image of the Scottish game that we want to be projecting to the world, when looking back through the history of the multiple major matches that are held at the national stadium on an annual basis, it was a huge anomaly.

The riots at the 1980 Scottish Cup Final between Celtic and Rangers that led to the ban on alcohol at Scottish football matches is the last time there were scenes even remotely comparable during a game at Hampden, but it seems that football supporters here are still trying to shake off that stigma.

I get the worries of local residents, and the concerns that the SPFL have perhaps created such a perfect storm of events that led to the sort of bother we witnessed in 1999 as Rangers won the title at Celtic Park. The late kick-off of the second game, for instance, and the overlap between fans getting bevvied up at in the same place, at the same time.

I might be naïve, and I probably am. But from over 30 years now going to football, I could count on one hand the number of times I have witnessed real trouble at matches.

When was the last time there was genuine large-scale disorder at a match in Scotland?