Deputy Chief Constable of Police Scotland Alan Speirs says his officers did a ‘brilliant job’ at Rangers vs Celtic last Sunday.
The police have faced criticism from fans and media for the handling of the events, which saw fans of both sides invade the pitch and a number of serious incidents in and out of the stadium.
The Celtic Fans Collective comprehensively criticised the force’s operation, whilst Simon Jordan lambasted the police on talkSPORT.
Speirs, speaking to the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday, defended his colleagues.
How can we ensure that the Glasgow derby can continue having full allocations after the latest incident?
Deputy Chief Constable responds to Rangers vs Celtic policing criticism
Asked by Graham Simpson MSP if police numbers are coming down to how much the clubs are willing pay, Speirs said: “I think it’s a consideration, Mr. Simpson.
“We will provide the resources that the clubs would want. We would also base that off years of experience of policing an event like that.
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“Sometimes, with hindsight, I’ve heard a bit of criticism of our officers. I think they did a brilliant job alongside stewards on Sunday, with the circumstances that they faced.
“But we’ll certainly go through a whole series of debriefing, and have a strong voice in terms of how.
“We’re only a few weeks away from the next Old Firm game taking place.”
Earlier in the hearing, Speirs said: “There’s a real imperative on those clubs to look at how they would want those matches to be policed.
“And when we come to Hampden, you’re absolutely right. But that, then, is an arrangement and agreement between both.
“So there is a lot of onus on the football authorities and the clubs to determine the policing footprint you would want to see inside a stadium.
“And when you look across to other parts of the UK, policing inside the stadium is very limited, and in a lot of instances, doesn’t take place at all.”
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