The fallout from Celtic beating Rangers in the Scottish Cup Glasgow Derby has, unfortunately, shifted from the pitch to the stands.
While the football was the focus for 120 minutes, the events surrounding the match have left the SFA, Police Scotland and John Swinney demanding accountability from Celtic and Rangers.
To ensure supporter and employee safety in future fixtures, there are three critical questions Celtic must demand answers to after the shameful Ibrox scenes saw another Celtic coach being targeted by a Rangers supporter.
How can we ensure that the Glasgow derby can continue having full allocations after the latest incident?
1. Why did the policing strategy look imbalanced at Ibrox?
External security was notably heightened, with a significant police presence managing the arrival of Celtic fans.
The Parkhead support were required to arrive at Ibrox from 10am to allow safe passage in and out of the stadium.
However, this level of over policing seemed to vanish once inside the stadium. If the resources were available to cordon off streets, why was there such a visible deficit in the flashpoint areas near the pitch and the technical areas?
A security plan is only as strong as its weakest link, and on Sunday, the interior of the stadium was a clear vulnerability.
2. Where was the response from Rangers stewarding at full-time?
The scenes at the final whistle were chaotic. As Celtic players and staff celebrated on the pitch, the barrier between the stands and the field of play appeared non-existent.
Effective stewarding at a Glasgow Derby is designed to anticipate and de-escalate high-tension moments, yet the response felt reactive rather than proactive.
Celtic must ask for a full review of the deployment plan that left the pitch perimeter so exposed during the most volatile period of the game.
3. How was a Celtic staff member left exposed to Rangers fans?
Most concerning is the alleged attack on a Celtic staff member. This isn’t the first time a Parkhead coach has been the victim of what looks like an assault from a Rangers supporter.
Celtic fans will remember Arne Engels being hit by a coin last season and a coach also being struck by a bottle in previous seasons.
Indeed, Joe Hart also had to deal with a glass bottle being smashed inside his Celtic goal area and Viljami Sinisalo was also involved in a bottle incident last May which led to a Rangers fan being jailed for eight months.
It is a workplace safety failure. If a member of the visiting team’s staff and players cannot feel safe within the confines of the technical area or the tunnel, the security at Ibrox has failed fundamentally.
Passive statements are no longer enough. For the sake of the game’s reputation and the safety of everyone involved, Celtic must seek hard answers on how these lapses were allowed to happen under the watch of professional security and police forces.
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