Ibrox Ultra Attempted to Smuggle Weapon into Stadium Ahead of Celtic Clash

In a recent court hearing, a Rangers fan was fined £900 for being caught with a baton at Ibrox Stadium on Hogmanay 2022. [SunSport] The fan, Lewis Martin, 20, was among 40 members of the ultra group The Union Bears who were allowed into the stadium to prepare a display for a Glasgow derby game against Celtic two days later.

The incident was captured on CCTV, and Martin was arrested at his home. He pled guilty to having an offensive weapon in a public place without a reasonable excuse or lawful authority.

Key Facts as reported by SunSport:

• Caught on Hogmanay 2022: Lewis Martin was caught with a baton at Ibrox Stadium on Hogmanay 2022.
• Part of Ultra Group: Martin was among 40 members of The Union Bears, an ultra group, who were allowed into the stadium to prepare a display for the derby game against Celtic.
• CCTV Evidence: Martin was seen on CCTV taking the baton from the boot of a car. He was dressed in all black and was in possession of a wooden baton with a red handle.
• Public Reports: Glasgow Sheriff Court heard that police received two reports from a member of the public about an armed man in the stadium’s car park.

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• Arrest and Fine: Martin was arrested at his home and later fined £900. He pled guilty to having an offensive weapon in a public place.
• No Football Banning Order: Despite the seriousness of the offence, the Crown did not seek a football banning order against Martin, citing it was two days before the match and Martin’s lack of a criminal record.

The story gets even more sinister when a stash of “potentially dangerous” items, including a baseball bat, was discovered inside Ibrox Stadium just hours before the derby clash. SunSport reported this at the time.

From a Celtic perspective, this incident is deeply concerning and vindicates the club’s decision to pull the plug on the small allocation of tickets for fans attending games at Ibrox due to safety concerns. The fact that a fan could so easily smuggle a weapon into a stadium ahead of such a high-profile game raises serious questions.

Moreover, the lack of widespread reporting on this issue is equally alarming. One has to wonder why such a significant security breach, which could have had disastrous consequences, is not making headlines. It’s a chilling reminder that fan safety should never be compromised, and Celtic’s decision to limit fan attendance at Ibrox now appears not only justified but prudent.

The lack of a football banning order against Martin is also perplexing. Given the potential risk to public safety. What reason could he have had for bringing the weapon to Ibrox? And what reason can be given for a bag of weapons being stashed inside the stadium?

The lack of media attention and condemnation of this quite concerning episode is disheartening.

This was the last game Celtic fans attended before the club decided to pull the plug on the measly allocation that left Celtic fans as sitting ducks in a corner of Ibrox.