Two police officers were seriously injured and at least 14 people arrested after violent disorder erupted in Glasgow on Saturday evening, as celebrations following Celtic's fifth successive Scottish Premiership title victory descended into chaos. Riot police were deployed to clear the streets around the Trongate area of the city centre, where around 3,000 supporters had gathered after the club's dramatic 3-1 win over Heart of Midlothian at Celtic Park. Officers assisting paramedics attending a medical emergency in the crowd were pelted with bottles and other missiles, prompting the deployment of officers in full riot gear to disperse those responsible.
The trouble began after what had initially been a lively but largely peaceful atmosphere in the Trongate, a traditional gathering point for Celtic fans following major victories. Green flares were let off and supporters drank in the streets, but by early evening the mood had turned significantly uglier. Police Scotland confirmed that 10 arrests were made in the Trongate and four at Celtic Park, with a further four people detained in Edinburgh. Authorities warned that more arrests were expected in the coming days as CCTV footage from the area is reviewed.
Assistant Chief Constable Mark Sutherland said he was "disgusted and frustrated" by the violence directed at his officers. "First and foremost, I'm so grateful that only two officers have suffered serious injury," he said. "But when you see the footage and you see the incoming bottles and missiles being rained on our officers, I'm so grateful and we are very fortunate that only two officers have been injured on this occasion." One officer sustained facial injuries while the other was left with bruising to the body after being struck by bottles.
The disorder in the city centre followed chaotic scenes inside Celtic Park itself, where supporters invaded the pitch after Callum Osmand scored the third goal on 98 minutes to seal the title. With eight minutes of added time having been announced, the match did not restart after fans streamed onto the field. Hearts players and staff made a hasty exit from the ground, with some players still in their match kit on the team bus as they headed back to Edinburgh, citing a menacing and threatening atmosphere inside the stadium.
Hearts condemned the "shameful scenes" in a statement, alleging that their captain had been assaulted during the pitch invasion. "Hearts' entire staff had no alternative but to leave immediately, without undertaking post-match media duties," the club said. "The pitch invasion caused a chaotic end and nobody seemed to know whether or not the match had been brought to a finish." Police confirmed they were working with Hearts to establish what had happened and would be reviewing CCTV to determine whether any players or fans had been assaulted.
The Scottish Professional Football League condemned the pitch invasion but confirmed the match had officially concluded rather than being abandoned. A spokesperson said the governing body was informed by referee Don Robertson that the match had ended prior to the trophy being awarded. The SPFL said it would "utterly condemn the scenes which saw a number of Celtic supporters encroach on to the field of play" and would wait for the match delegate's report before considering any potential punishment. The body also noted that entering the pitch has been a criminal offence in England and Wales since 1991, and urged anyone with information about criminal activity to contact Police Scotland.
Glasgow City Council said the majority of fans had celebrated responsibly and complied with requests to stay away from Trongate. "However, the behaviour of some people in the aftermath of yesterday's match was, quite frankly, an embarrassment," the council said in a statement. "They let down the city, their club and their fellow fans." By Sunday morning the debris-strewn streets had been largely cleared up and damaged traffic lights, pulled down by fans who had climbed on them, were being repaired. Glass had been pre-emptively removed from bus shelters ahead of the match as a precautionary measure.
Sutherland called on Celtic to "step forward" and work with authorities to ensure there would be no repeat of the disorder, noting that Police Scotland had been critical of the club ahead of the game for failing to bring forward any plan for fans to celebrate safely in the event of victory. The Scottish Football Association is already investigating separate on-field disorder following a cup match between Rangers and Celtic in March, and the league body intends to speak to the Scottish government about finding new ways to tackle the growing problem of pitch invasions in Scottish football. Hearts had been chasing their first league title since 1960 before the dramatic final day.