Police vow to track down Old Firm thugs

POLICE SCOTLAND expect to make further arrests in response to ‘disgraceful’ scenes at the end of Sunday’s Old Firm game. Social media footage captured missiles being thrown between both sets of fans following the final whistle at Celtic Park. Eight arrests were made around the match —

including two inside the

stadium — for a variety of offences including disorder, pyrotechnics and religiously aggravated offences. Police Scotland assistant chief constable Mark Williams expects that number to ‘sadly’ rise as investigations continue. Williams insisted those responsible for throwing objects — which reportedly included bottles and broken seats — would be brought to justice. ‘The vast majority of fans enjoyed the game at the weekend,’ said Williams. ‘Tens of thousands of people went there, enjoyed the football and went home safely. That, of course, is always the overarching goal of any event of that scale and nature that people are safe and get home in one piece. ‘A very small minority, however, clearly engaged in disorder and anti-social behaviour and missile-throwing, and that’s completely unacceptable. And it’s something that Police Scotland will work very hard to follow up, to investigate, and to bring those responsible to justice.’ Police will take evidence from CCTV footage, as well as from eyewitnesses and consultations with the clubs. ‘It’s our national game and scenes like that are disgraceful and they’ve no place in football,’ he told STV News. ‘And it’s very important that the football authorities, the football clubs, the fans’ groups, the agencies involved including the police, work together to do everything we can to prevent it happening. ‘But, sadly, there is a small minority of fans who choose to act violently, who choose to engage in hateful behaviour and sectarian behaviour. ‘And those individuals, on this occasion a very small minority, will be pursued.’ Rangers criticised the police response on Sunday, claiming their supporters had been left ‘unprotected’ and that elderly and disabled fans were among those struck by ‘bottles and other missiles.’ Celtic responded in a statement of their own, saying their supporters had been ‘targeted by missiles’ including bottles and seats ripped up from the stand. They also referred to last month’s derby at Ibrox when a member of Ange Postecoglou’s backroom staff required stitches after being struck by a glass bottle. ‘There’s no doubt that the football clubs and the football authorities have to take the lead in addressing this sort of behaviour,’ added Williams. ‘It’s certainly not for the police service to do that. ‘We want to prevent this behaviour in the first place and that is best led through the collective efforts of the football authorities and clubs, and through the fans themselves.’