Police Scotland’s Greater Glasgow Chief Superintendent Emma Croft has raised concerns about the future of full away allocations after Celtic’s Scottish Cup win over Rangers at Ibrox.
The match itself was tight and tense. Celtic spent long spells defending their penalty box before holding their nerve in the shootout. Tomas Cvancara scored the winning penalty and sent the travelling support into wild celebration.
For many watching, the noise from the Broomloan Stand felt like the return of a proper derby atmosphere. Around 8,000 Celtic supporters made the trip across the city. The sound rarely dropped, even when Rangers pushed Celtic deep during the second half and extra-time.
The scenes at the end have sparked another conversation about whether full away allocations can continue. Supporters entered the pitch after the shootout and police stepped in to restore order. Investigations are now under way.
Croft addressed the situation as authorities reviewed what unfolded after the final whistle. Her comments focused on the behaviour of a minority and the policing response on the day. At the same time, the wider question remains whether reducing travelling support actually improves the fixture inside the stadium.
For many supporters, the argument is simple. Derby matches are shaped by rivalry and atmosphere. A packed away section changes the game. Celtic’s players could hear supporters throughout the afternoon at Ibrox. That backing mattered when Rangers controlled long stretches of possession.
She said: (Sky Sports), “I’m very frustrated and disappointed, if I’m being quite frank, you know, why a football match which should be celebrated by many ended up in the position it did yesterday.
“What we saw post the result of the penalties was euphoria from one side and reaction from another.
“What we saw was an overspilling of emotion that had been pent up probably for the last few weeks from both groups who were hell-bent on trying to reach each other.
“We’re at nine arrests currently for those incidents that have been well reported already, and I expect that number to rise.
“We’re at nine currently for those incidents that have been well reported already, including three outwith the stadium and the rest within the stadium.
“But I expect that number to rise as and when we establish what we’ve got. I’ve got around 20 crime reports already which we’re acting on currently, and I expect that number to grow.
“Our starting position is that that number of away fans is not workable currently.”
Football in Scotland has always carried enormous passion. When Celtic and Rangers meet, that feeling rises again. It has been part of the fixture for generations and it will not disappear.
What can change is how the day is managed. Entry points matter. Stewarding matters. Planning matters. Those are the areas that can be tightened if lessons need to be learned from what happened at Ibrox.
Some will also ask whether there were enough police officers or security staff in place. The return of a large travelling support changed the scale of the occasion. With thousands of away fans back inside the stadium, the operation around the ground had to deal with a bigger crowd and stronger emotions.
That does not mean the answer is to remove away supporters. Anyone who watched Sunday’s match could hear what the Celtic fans added to the game. The noise from the Broomloan Stand never stopped, even when Rangers had the ball and pushed forward.
The responsibility now sits with clubs, the authorities and supporters themselves. If mistakes were made around planning or security, those should be addressed. That is how big games improve.
What should not happen is a rush to remove travelling fans because of the behaviour of a few people. If that becomes the reaction every time something goes wrong, the atmosphere that defines this derby will slowly fade from the stands.
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