Scott Brown has spoken out about the disorder that followed Celtic’s penalty shootout win at Ibrox, warning the scenes overshadowed what had been a fierce cup tie on the pitch.
The former Celtic captain watched events unfold after the final kick of the Scottish Cup quarter-final, where Celtic held their nerve from the spot following a tense 120 minutes without a goal.
The match itself had been tight throughout. Both sides cancelled each other out in open play and clear chances were rare, with the contest eventually decided from twelve yards.
Celtic converted their penalties to secure a place in the semi-final. Celebrations quickly followed in the away end, where thousands of visiting supporters had travelled across the city after the return of larger away allocations this season.
But the moment quickly turned chaotic as supporters from both ends entered the pitch and clashes broke out inside the stadium. The aftermath has since dominated discussion around the fixture and raised fresh questions about away allocations going forward.
Brown believes the atmosphere inside the stadium during the match showed what the fixture can be when both sets of supporters are present. However, he also made clear that what happened after the shootout cannot become part of the occasion.
He said: (talkSPORT), “I’m sure Celtic and Rangers don’t want that to happen again because it was a fantastic atmosphere at the game.
“You got 7,500 Celtic fans for the first time in about 10 years, which is incredible that we’re able to get back to that.
“But those days of running on the park, fighting, scrapping on the pitch… 90 minutes, shout and swear, say what you want to the lads. But after that, that’s it, done and dusted.
“It is ugly for Scottish football. We never want that to happen, we want there to be a good showcase.
“A lot of people down in England are watching that and the way they look at us, that’s what they’re going to remember.
“The passion is unbelievable, everyone knows the passion is unbelievable. But that part of the scene, it’s a select part of the crowd that always want to spoil it for everybody else.”
The return of a larger away allocation brought a different feel to the fixture. Thousands of travelling supporters behind the goal helped create the kind of noise that had been missing for years.
That is why the fallout has been such a talking point in the days since the game. Clubs and authorities now face pressure to ensure scenes like that do not return when the sides meet again.
For players and supporters, the football should remain the focus. The match itself was tense and competitive, exactly what a knockout tie between the two sides usually brings.
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