During the September weekend we had a greater amount of calls than normal.
From the period of 7am on Friday, September 22, to 7am on Monday, September 25, over 500 incidents were reported.
Some of these will be multiple reports for the same incident, and not all incidents require officers to attend.
This weekend saw the first Old Firm game of the season. Obviously this event has a large following, and from a policing perspective impacts far beyond Glasgow. Increased alcohol consumption across Lanarkshire can lead to disorder, and reports of offensive behaviour online can increase.
It’s fair to say though, those who ‘let the side down’ are in a small minority, in comparison with the amount of interest in the fixture.
I have worked at football matches throughout my police service and for many years I have been a police tactical football commander.
Contrary to popular belief police are not in charge of football matches. Football clubs appoint qualified safety officers who have overall responsibility for the event.
However, we work closely with safety officers and stewarding companies to ensure supporters are able to safely enjoy the match, whilst minimising the impact on the local community. I had the pleasure of working at last weekend’s Hamilton Accies versus Hearts fixture. My duties include attending at a pre-match safety briefing the day before the match. These meetings are chaired