The Celtic Fans’ Collective have called for answers from both the club and Police Scotland following safety concerns raised by fans attending Sunday’s Scottish Cup tie at Ibrox.
In a joint statement issued by the group, fans argued that the focus on post-match disorder has overshadowed what they describe as “dangerous conditions” experienced by Celtic supporters attempting to enter the stadium before kick-off.
The group claims large numbers of away supporters were funnelled through a restricted approach route and held for extended periods before reaching the turnstiles, leading to overcrowding and “crush-like” conditions.
According to the statement, Police Scotland officers in riot gear were deployed while supporters were being contained, which the group says increased tensions and resulted in injuries.
They also pointed to previous independent investigations into policing of Celtic fans, including reviews following incidents in 2018 and last year, arguing that similar issues continue to arise despite those findings.
Concerns about the matchday arrangements had been raised in advance by supporters and Celtic’s Supporter Liaison Officers, the statement claims, after the usual system for accommodating a full away allocation in the Broomloan Stand was replaced.
The group has now urged both Police Scotland and Celtic to engage with supporters and ensure that the conditions experienced by travelling fans on Sunday are not repeated.
Their statement read:
With the scrutiny over various events which occurred on Sunday, the steering group have discussed a collective response which defends our supporters and asks for answers from both our club and Police Scotland. We have agreed on a public response, and are shortly releasing the following statement on social media shortly.
Concerns about the policing and management of Celtic supporters are not new. Independent investigations by Fairhurst consultants into incidents in September 2018 and again in March 2025 identified significant failings in the way Police Scotland handled large groups of supporters. As we approach the one-year anniversary of the kettling of Celtic supporters on London Road before the derby at Celtic Park, which prompted one such investigation, supporters are still waiting for the club to take a clear position on the treatment of its own fans.
In the week leading up to Sunday’s fixture, many Celtic supporters and the club’s Supporter Liaison Officers raised concerns about the entry protocols proposed by Rangers and Police Scotland. A stadium approach and entry system that had safely accommodated a full Broomloan Stand allocation for decades was replaced with arrangements designed for around 2,500 supporters.
On the day, those concerns proved well founded. Large numbers of Celtic supporters were funnelled into a restricted approach route and held there for extended periods before reaching the turnstiles. The result was dangerous overcrowding and prolonged containment in conditions many supporters described as crush-like. Rather than attempting to ease this congestion, Police Scotland deployed officers in riot gear, increasing tension and causing injuries. For many supporters present, this response was reminiscent of the approach taken during the Janefield Street incident in 2018, raising further questions about whether meaningful lessons have been learned.
Further concerns arose around new instructions for Celtic supporters’ bus parking, which were poorly managed and left travelling supporters exposed after the match.
Taken together, these events raise serious questions about the planning and execution of the policing and crowd management operation surrounding Sunday’s match. Supporters had raised concerns in advance, yet the arrangements proceeded regardless and the predicted problems followed.
Celtic Football Club must also address these concerns. In recent months the club has placed considerable emphasis on matters relating to supporter conduct and stadium safety. Given that focus, supporters would reasonably expect to hear from the club and from Head of Safety, Security and Operations Mark Hargreaves on what part he had to play in the matchday operation. Hargreaves was once again inexplicably absent on the day. He lost the trust of many Celtic fans some time ago, and his position is untenable.
These concerns are particularly relevant as the Green Brigade have been advised that any decision on their re-admission lies with Police Scotland. Should approval be granted, fans in the North Curve will be asked to place their trust in new policing and stewarding arrangements despite having no advance notice of the measures or any input into how the area will operate on a matchday.
Recent events do little to inspire confidence in Police Scotland’s ability to design and implement such plans, and that concern was only compounded by what took place on Sunday afternoon.
Supporters do not need another formal review. The issues surrounding the policing of Celtic supporters have already been the subject of multiple investigations. What is required now is meaningful engagement and concrete action from Police Scotland and Celtic Football Club to ensure that the conditions experienced by thousands of supporters at Ibrox on Sunday cannot happen again.
To be absolutely clear, the position is straightforward. Supporters do not require heavier policing or more restrictive measures, they require competent planning and safe crowd management. Unlike others, we do not need to support that position with ludicrous protestations. Attempts to explain Sunday’s events solely through the behaviour of visiting supporters ignore the reality of what occurred. The focus must remain on the failures in policing, planning and crowd management which created entirely foreseeable unsafe conditions.
Accountability for what happened on Sunday is now required.
So, it now seems Police Scotland are the ones refusing the readmission of the GB to Celtic Park. I may be mistaken, but I thought any power of refusal to an area or venue had to come as result of a Magistrate/Sherrif making that judgement in a court hearing. If it is a decision made by the police, they are making that decision indiscriminatley against members of the GB. Surely that could lead to action against the police by those fans who are affected?
Exactly why The Collective have zero credibility..
The landscape in terms of Celtic fans has changed entirely since 2018.
We have never had so many arseholes in our support as we have now, mainly through the Ultra cancer which both clubs have allowed to spread.
Just look at the “fans” on the pitch on Sunday, not a scarf of either club to be seen.
The Collective are no more than a mouthpiece for the GB, an attempt to give the GB some desperately needed credibility.
The GB broke into Ibrox, were advised that their tifo was not permitted but tried to take it in anyway, invaded the pitch at full time yet according to The Collective/GB its all someone elses fault.
I was in the queue waiting to get through the cordon, it was not a crush and there was well over an hour to ko, so no panic either.
When we reached the turnstiles, they had been closed.
Because of the GB barging past stewards and closed exit doors.
If The Collective are so concerned about a so-called crush, then why no comments on dozens of ticketless fans breaking in to the Broomloan Rd?
Long past time the Ultras were kicked out of CP for good and allow the decent, actual fans to go and watch Celtic play
it’s obvious that the police and Celtic are cowtowing to their political masters who are demanding that there be no support for Palestine and no criticism of the genocide nor criticism of the Zionist state …it’s really disgusting