VOWS MADE FOLLOWING CELTIC PARK CRUSH NEVER AGAIN
Safety group say club and police told them that lessons have been learned
The group in charge of safety at Celtic Park insist steps have been taken to prevent a repeat of the crush which injured five fans at a recent game.
Supporters had to scale a fence to escape injury before an Old Firm clash at the ground earlier this month.
The Stadium Safety Group (SSG) – operated by Glasgow City Council – say they have been given assurances by the club and police that there will be no repeat of the terrifying scenes.
It follows warnings from a leading crowd safety expert that a full inquiry should be held.
Celtic have commissioned an independent review, by engineering consultants Fairhurst, to find the cause of the crush.
Crowd sa fet y exper t Professor Keith Still said: “It’s not about appor tioning blame, it’s about learning. Some serious questions relating to command and control decisions s may need to be asked.”
A spokesman for Glasgow City y Council, who issue the stadium’s ’s safety certificate, said: “Both th Police Polic Scotland and Celtic have pro provided assurances that appropriate app measures will be put in place to ensure spe spectator safety is protected at all times. “The SSG routinely review re and monitor safety a r rangements at the stadium on an on-going basis and spectator safety remains the absolute focus of the group.
“We will be writing directly to two people who complained directly to GCC Licensing.
“The stadium’s current safety certificate is valid until July 30, 2019. Certif icate holders are ultimately responsible for safety in their stadium.”
A police spokesman said: “There is an independent inqui ry ongoing and we are engaging with this inquiry.”
Celtic and Fairhurst did not respond to requests for comment.