Fan behaviour has been a hot topic towards the end of last season, especially after the last time Celtic faced Rangers in the Glasgow Derby.
Celtic drew with Rangers in a game that was meaningless in terms of the title race but the fixture still drew a lot of headlines. But for all the wrong reasons.
Celtic star Viljami Sinisalo was targeted by Rangers fans after a section of the Ibrox support threw missiles in his direction after Adam Idah’s second-half equaliser.
Whilst one fan was punished this week in a court of law, it transpires that the SPFL already have a rule in place to punish this type of behaviour that the governing body admits they won’t use because it’s not ‘proportionate’.
SPFL ‘don’t like’ rule to control fan behaviour even after Rangers vs Celtic flashpoint
Fan behaviour did become a concern not just because of that last derby match but also after an Aberdeen player was assaulted after a fan hit him with a seat at Dundee United.
However SPFL director of operations Callum Beattie has explained why a rule in place to deduct points for unruly fan behaviour won’t be used as it’s unfair to clubs.
Beattie told the BBC, “A points deduction is a possibility under any SPFL complaint that is taken against a club.
“We don’t like to run towards points deductions for obvious reasons. We want football to be played out on the pitch and for competition integrity, we want it determined on the pitch.
“Our position on that for many years has been we believe in individual responsibility. That does not mean that clubs cannot be sanctioned for issues with their supporters but they’ve got to do everything reasonably practicable to address it.
“We know how challenging it is for clubs. These are societal issues. We’re not alone in having to address these issues. The clubs aren’t alone. They are doing their utmost to address these issues but we’re still having to deal with them.
“We don’t think it’s right to then leave the clubs themselves and say: ‘If you don’t deal with this, if you cannot address this issue, you’re going to get a points deduction.’ We don’t think that’s proportionate.”
Other Ibrox incidents that Rangers fans have targeted Celtic players, fans and staff
Indeed, the Sinisalo incident is not a solitary one. Celtic’s fans, players and coaching staff have been subjected to this treatment on a number of occasions over the years.
Joe Hart’s goalmouth was littered with glass in 2022 after a glass bottle was thrown in his direction and smashed as it landed.
In April 2024, a glass bottle was aimed at Celtic hero Matt O’Riley after he scored a penalty to put the Hoops 2-0 up in the 3-3 Ibrox draw.
In January of this year, Arne Engels was hit by a coin in Celtic’s defeat at Rangers in another incident where players were targeted by projectiles inside Ibrox.
The fact that the SPFL have a rule they could easily apply to stamp out this behaviour but won’t is sure to leave Celtic and the fans feeling bemused, especially given the history of what has gone on at an Ibrox derby over the last two years.
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