Old Firm riot at cup final ‘happened after police cutbacks’

AN ex-police officer says costcutting was partly to blame for one of the most shameful incidents in Scottish football history.

A pitched battle broke out between Celtic and Rangers fans after the 1980 Scottish Cup final at Hampden, Glasgow.

On the 40th anniversary of the riot, Joe Jackson, then a detective inspector with Strathclyde Police, said bosses deliberately cut the number of officers in the ground.

He was in charge of a team of 20 detectives on May 10, targeting pickpockets and other criminals in the 70,000-plus crowd.

Retired Mr Jackson said: ‘Normally one team of 500 officers would police the inside of the stadium and a different team would be positioned outside to maintain law and order in the streets after the match. However, bosses decided that they could cut costs by using the same 500 officers to do both.

‘Only a small number were left in Hampden at the final whistle and they were helpless when rioting fans ran on to the pitch. We were lucky that no one was killed.’

Violence started when Celtic won 1-0 after extra time.

Both clubs were fined £20,000 and more than 200 arrests were made. Chief Constable Sir Patrick Hamill and Assistant Chief Constable William McMaster were at the game.

Mr Jackson added: ‘Had anyone died that day their careers and reputations would have been left in tatters.’

The riot led to tough new laws banning alcohol and drunken fans from football grounds.

‘We were lucky that no one was killed’