Damning Report on Old Firm Disorder: Authorities Under Pressure to Act
An independent review of crowd disorder at the Old Firm Scottish Cup quarter-final at Ibrox in March has been published, delivering harsh criticism of Rangers, Celtic, the Scottish FA, the SPFL, police, and ultras from both sides. The 37-page report, authored by Mark Blackbourne, warns that the violence 'came within a very small margin of becoming a violent mass confrontation.' It details pitch invasions, a counter-invasion by masked Rangers fans carrying poles, a bribery incident involving a steward, a Celtic employee assaulted, a 10-year-old hit by a coin, and a fan left unconscious. The report calls for immediate crowd number restrictions instead of fines, describing current sanctions as 'too modest, too deferred, and too inconsistently applied.' It also criticizes the clubs for failing to control ultras, who are likened to organized crime gangs. The Scottish FA faces calls to adopt zero-tolerance policies and section closures as standard responses.
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