Police Scotland Criticises Celtic Over Failure to Plan Premiership Title Celebrations
Assistant Chief Constable Alan Waddell of Police Scotland has openly criticised Celtic Football Club for its lack of official plans to manage fan celebrations, should the team win the Scottish Premiership title this Saturday. Celtic needs to defeat Hearts at Parkhead to secure their fifth consecutive league victory. This contrasts sharply with Hearts, who have detailed an open-top bus parade in Edinburgh for Sunday, pending their own title win.
Police Scotland has confirmed comprehensive measures are in place to minimise disruption in Glasgow, including the removal of glass from bus shelters. However, Waddell stated that Celtic's failure to provide an organised event or fanzone has led to the "unnecessary cancellation of rest days" for police personnel, compelling the force to plan for thousands of supporters congregating in Glasgow's Trongate area, as observed in previous years. Such gatherings have historically resulted in significant public order issues, including mass street drinking, pyrotechnics, and numerous arrests.
Referee Under Police Protection After Online Leak
The highly anticipated match follows a controversial week for Scottish football. The Scottish Football Association (SFA) confirmed that match referee John Beaton and his family required police protection after their personal details were leaked online, following a contentious VAR-awarded penalty in Celtic's recent match against Motherwell. The SFA attributed this to a "hysterical media narrative" and urged "tolerance and perspective to prevent any further, unthinkable escalation." A 19-year-old man has since been arrested and charged in connection with this data protection offence.
Glasgow City Council also appealed to Celtic supporters to avoid disorder, highlighting the substantial financial and social impact of previous unsanctioned celebrations on local communities and public services. While Celtic has acknowledged discussions with the council regarding future organised celebrations, the club has urged supporters to avoid unsanctioned city centre gatherings this weekend, citing existing events such as the Cancer Research 10k Race for Life.
