Rugby Park chaos was the last straw
Back in March, two ugly incidents at Easter Road in the space of six days sent shock waves reverberating through Scottish football.
Television audiences watched on aghast when a bottle was hurled at Celtic winger, Scott Sinclair, as he took a corner near Hibs supporters. It narrowly missed its target. Then, less than a week later, in the same area of the stadium, Rangers captain James Tavernier was confronted by a pitch invader as he attempted to retrieve the ball.
They were not the only such scenes to blight the 2018-19 campaign.
Neil Lennon was hit by a coin at Tynecastle in October, while manager of Hibs. In the same game, Hearts keeper, Bobby Zlamal was attacked by a spectator.
In April, another keeper – St Mirren’s Vaclav Hladky – had to be tended to during a match against Celtic after a deafening firecracker went off near him.
Throw in the setting off of flares on a regular basis, and it really was a season where an ugly minority of “supporters” shamed the game. A season that fired off enough warning signals that something had to be done.
PFA Scotland, the players’ union, was concerned for the safety of its members.
Police Scotland reported that incidents involving pyrotechnics had almost doubled on the previous campaign.
We didn’t have to wait long for proof that talk is cheap with the chaotic scenes at Rugby Park
A hard-hitting statement warned that, unless the game policed itself, the Scottish Government would intervene.
And ahead of the big kick-off to the present campaign, there was talk of a crackdown.
CCTV, fans were told, had been upgraded at a number of clubs, and there would be increased security across the country.
We didn’t have to wait long for proof that talk is cheap, with the chaotic scenes at last Sunday’s match between Kilmarnock and Rangers at Rugby Park.
Before the game, hundreds of visiting supporters were caught up in a crush at the turnstiles with police, some on horseback, forced to intervene as tensions rose.
Then, after Rangers hit a lastminute winner, a few dozen fans spilled on to the pitch to celebrate.
Most disturbingly, some danced on the roof of the enclosure for disabled away supporters, which subsequently caved in, narrowly avoiding causing injury to those inside.
In the aftermath, both clubs pointed the finger of blame at the other.
It was, however, the comments of the Kilmarnock fans’ group that hit the nail on the head when taking aim at the failure of Scottish football’s governing bodies to do more.
“The Kilmarnock Supporters Society Limited (The Killie Trust) would once again like to voice its grave concern at the continued lack of leadership, direction and sanction by the regulatory Scottish footballing authorities following yet more incidents at Rugby Park at the weekend involving an Old Firm team.”
They continued that they would “urge the SPFL and SFA, to take appropriate positive action on these occurrences, which are sadly being accepted as the norm.”
The SPFL has condemned the scenes as “simply unacceptable”, and pledged to work with Police Scotland and the clubs in the investigation.
But the central accusation – that of “a continued lack of leadership, direction and sanction”– has not been countered, which tells its own story.
The crowd trouble, which has carried over from last season into this almost without a blip, has to be tackled, and tackled hard.
Moreover, it must be seen to be tackled in order to persuade fans there is no alternative but to take personal responsibility for their actions.
The culture that pervades at present – where some fans think they can behave as they please and get away with it – has to be challenged. Things cannot go on as they are. It is a trick which can be pulled off, but one which requires clear and persuasive leadership from those who run our game to get the message across.
If strict liability is required – even to the extent of clubs being docked points – then so be it.
But the determination to eradicate the trouble must be clear.
Without it, the scenes of the past 12 months – which sabotage the efforts to grow and improve the game – will surely continue.
Week after week, month after month, year after year.