Celtic’s victory parade halted by children

Thousands of screaming children twice invaded the playing field at Parkhead, Glasgow, last night, temporarily halting the victory parade – on their own ground – of Celtic after their European cup triumph over Inter Milan at Lisbon on Thursday night.

A decorated lorry carrying the team, with the European Cup, had travelled only a few yards from the front of the grandstand when children began running across the pitch from all directions. Despite loudspeaker appeals they surrounded the lorry and brought it to a halt.

Celtic manager, Mr Jock Stein, jumped off the lorry with the cup and was escorted back to the pavilion by policemen. The team, too, climbed off the lorry and returned to the pavilion. The chairman of Celtic, Mr Robert Kelly, warned the crowd of over 70,000 over the loudspeaker that the cup would not be paraded while the children were still on the playing field.

Police managed to clear the field, and the team –and the cup – went back to the lorry and were driven slowly round the field to deafening chants of “Cel-tic. Cel-tic.”

As the decorated lorry travelled round the field for the third time, with the fans singing, “When the Celts go Marching In,” thousands of children again invaded the field and the parade was stopped.

It was all over so quickly. Perhaps a half hour elapsed from the first appearance of the team coach to the final withdrawal into that tunnel. There was little to say. The fans did not want to hear, only see.

Manager Jock Stein had a few brief words. “Please don’t spoil tonight for us by making the police job more difficult. The team are so tired and the boys want to get home.”

The fans left the ground, but for some, the anti-climax was too much to bear. They congregated outside the main stand, threatening to overrun the crush barriers and mob the players being escorted to their cars by mounted policemen.

About 200 shouting, dancing, singing youths made their way to the city centre and attempted to stage a celebration in George Square. Five police cars converged on the square and dispersed them into Buchanan Street and St Enoch Square.

The police reported that as far as they were concerned, the fans had been well-behaved. Casualties were much fewer than at an “Old Firm” game, and there were a number of arrests, but not the usual number.

The Lord Provost of Glasgow, Mr John Johnston, and the Scottish Football Association are considering a joint civic reception for Celtic and Rangers, the other Glasgow football club who meet Munich Bayern in the final of the European Cup-winners Cup at Nuremberg next Wednesday.