Mounted police on the pitch at flashpoint game
Player hurls a punch after final whistle in crucial play-off match
MOUNTED police were deployed yesterday after a football match descended into a mass brawl.
In shameful scenes that were televised around the world, Rangers player Bilel Mohsni lashed out at Motherwell striker Lee Erwin at the end of the second leg of their Scottish Premiership play-off final.
After the final whistle, Tunisia international Mohsni reacted to a push in the back from Erwin and began kicking and punching him, while other players fought on the pitch.
Rangers had been bidding to return to the top-flight, but lost 3-0 to Motherwell at Fir Park. Having lost 3-1 at Ibrox last week, they went down 6-1 on aggregate.
A flare was thrown onto the pitch, while mounted police were deployed after home fans staged a pitch invasion.
One baton-wielding officer was
‘There’s no excuse whatsoever’
seen tackling a fan hanging from the goalposts.
Mohsni, Erwin and unused Motherwell substitute Fraser Kerr were shown red cards, but it is understood the violence continued i n the players’ tunnel. It was reported last night that Mohsni had tried to challenge Erwin again.
Last night, Assistant Chief Constable Bernard Higgins said: ‘Police Scotland will conduct a full review of the circumstances, liaise with the appropriate partners and decide how best to take the matter forward over the coming days.’
Scottish Tory sport spokesman Liz Smith said last night: ‘This is the ugly side of sport.
‘No one – irrespective of which team they support – can condone this kind of behaviour. It makes a mockery of football and I am sure all the sport-loving fans who spent a lot of money taking their families along to this match will be bitterly disappointed that bad behaviour, rather than good football, will be what everyone is taking about tomorrow.’
The appalling scenes came four years after an Old Firm Scottish Cup clash which saw three Rangers players sent off and a heated touchline confrontation between Celtic coach Neil Lennon and Ibrox assistant manager Ally McCoist.
That match prompted Alex Salmond to call a top-level summit of police chiefs and club bosses to discuss football-related disorder.
Legislation to combat sectarian behaviour at football matches was later passed at Holyrood.
The then Lord Advocate – Elish Angiolini, QC – instructed police chiefs to consider charging players for yobbish on-field behaviour.
After yesterday’s game, Erwin said: ‘I tried to shake Mohsni’s hand to wish him all the best, but he told me to “F*** off ”. I pushed him away and he reacted badly. A player at a club at that level shouldn’t be acting like that. It’s embarrassing for him and the club.’
Rangers manager Stuart McCall said he missed the incident but called such behaviour ‘unacceptable’. He said: ‘If Mohsni has thrown a punch, that’s disgraceful. But it’s safe to say he won’t be at the club next season. He’s out of contract.’
Former Motherwell captain Stephen Craigan said Erwin should take a share of the blame, adding: ‘I think Lee Erwin has a part to play. As much as he put his hand out to shake Mohsni’s hand, if he doesn’t want to do it, then let him go. There was no need to antagonise him by pushing him. It doesn’t take much to set Mohsni off.’
Motherwell manager Ian Bara- clough said: ‘They were unsavoury scenes and football doesn’t need that. There’s no place for anything like that.’
Scotland boss Gordon Strachan said: ‘I don’t know what it takes to set Mohsni off but, talking to the lads, I don’t think it takes too much. That can’t be condoned – there’s no excuse whatsoever.’
Former Rangers skipper David Weir said: ‘Hopefully, Mohsni gets punished for his behaviour.’
Despite warnings to remain seated, Motherwell fans invaded the pitch at full-time, a tradition at the team’s last home game of the season.
But on this occasion, in an unusual move, mounted police then moved in.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘This is a matter for Police Scotland, the clubs and the football authorities.
‘However, the Scottish Government does not condone violence in sport, on or off the field.’
Last night, Police Scotland said three men – none of them players – had been arrested.