Police say Celtic failed to plan for fan celebrations ahead of Hearts showdown

By Neil Pooran, Press Association Scotland News Editor

Police Scotland says Celtic have failed to take responsibility for the “wider conduct” of fans outside the stadium ahead of the crucial Scottish Premiership decider against Hearts.

A senior police officer said Celtic had not put a plan in place for official celebration events if the side wins the William Hill Premiership on Saturday.

Celtic will host Hearts in a rare final-day showdown for the title as the Edinburgh team looks to win the league for the first time in 66 years.

Should Hearts win, there will be an open-topped bus parade through Edinburgh to Tynecastle on Sunday.

Celtic have urged fans to avoid gathering in Glasgow city centre should Martin O’Neill’s team triumph on Saturday, asking supporters to be mindful of the wider community.

Assistant Chief Constable Alan Waddell said a “comprehensive” policing plan is in place for the weekend football matches.

He said there had been discussions over many months to arrange events such as fan zones following disorder which has taken place after previous football fixtures.

Mr Waddell said: “Despite these welcome efforts, Celtic Football Club has again failed to bring forward any plan or take any responsibility for the wider conduct and safety of supporters outwith the stadium.

“Should Celtic win the title on Saturday, we have again had to plan for thousands of supporters gathering in the Trongate area of the city as in previous years.

“A dedicated policing plan is in place should this occur which has impacted on the wellbeing of our officers and staff, and led to the unnecessary cancellation of rest days.”

He continued: “Anyone intent on breaking the law and engaging in anti-social behaviour should be in no doubt that we will enforce the law to maintain public safety.

“Anyone planning to visit Glasgow city centre on Saturday should be aware it will be much busier than normal, with increased use of public transport – so please plan your travel in advance.

“Similar discussions took place with Edinburgh City Council and Hearts, who already have a plan for fans to celebrate on Sunday with an open-top bus parade should they win the title, and we are working closely with them to support their event.”

In a club statement released on Friday, Celtic reminded fans that the match at Parkhead is sold out at its 60,000 capacity.

The club said: “If we are fortunate enough to be successful on Saturday, we would ask our supporters to be mindful of the challenges which have been faced by Glasgow city centre previously.

“Celtic has met in recent weeks with Glasgow City Council. We understand that the pressure placed on the city on such occasions is immense.

“We know there have been instances in the past which have proved difficult for the local community in terms of movement, obstructions and impact on emergency services.”

The club continued: “If successful on Saturday, we would absolutely want our fans to enjoy their own celebrations, but given these events and the wider logistics, we would therefore discourage supporters from attending gatherings in the city centre this weekend, where there is no safety management in place and which have such a high impact on the city.”

Celtic manager Martin O’Neill said: “It goes without saying that, if we are successful, we will all looking forward to enjoying it, but it’s also important that we do so safely and responsibly.

“We want all our fans to be safe and ensure that we are mindful of others and our wider community.

“Our fans have such a great reputation for positively supporting the team and if we do achieve what we want at the weekend, we want that positive support to shine through again.”

If Hearts win, Lothian Buses has said there will be traffic disruption in Edinburgh on Sunday due to the bus parade.