‘Nothing would change my mind’ Hundreds of rebels defy Nicola Sturgeon’s warning and cross the border to watch the Old Firm clash

Defiant football fans yesterday ignored Nicola Sturgeon’s plea not to travel to English pubs and watch the first Old Firm game of the season.

Hundreds of supporters crossed the border to drink pints as Celtic and Rangers carried him off into an empty Parkhead stadium.

Large crowds flocked to the bars in Carlisle despite the Prime Minister and managers of both clubs begging them to stay home. Many traveled south the night before, while others arrived by train before the 12.30pm start.

Cumbrian police officers and dog handlers were visible on the streets to make sure there was little chance of disruptions associated with the Glasgow derby occurring in their area.

Most of the visitors were from Scotland’s central belt, which is in the middle of a 16-day lockdown to slow the spread of Covid-19. Authorized facilities in the area were ordered to remain closed, prompting fans to make arrangements to watch the game, which was broadcast live on Sky Sports.

Rangers fan Tommy Law, 61, of the Glasgow Easterhouse, was originally going to travel to Blackpool to watch the game before changing his mind.

He said: “I got to see my team win a game and I had a couple of beers. It was a great day. There was nothing Nicola Sturgeon was going to say to change my mind. “

Only three pubs in the city center – The Griffin, owned by Greene King, The Cumberland Inn and the Walkabout pub chain – decided to show the clash. They were all full, and one manager claimed that nearly 100 percent of his customers had traveled from
Scotland to watch the game on its big screen.

Gholamreza Mohtashami only took over The Cumberland Inn in February. He said Rangers and Celtic fans had given him a welcome financial boost even though they ignored safety advice and left the affected areas of the health board. The tavern manager said: “The game was great, it was busier on a Saturday afternoon since I got to the pub.

“We had a capacity of 85 per cent and I would say almost all of them were Scottish. The police contacted us on Friday to ask if we were ready and we said yes.

“The atmosphere was great, there were no problems. I would welcome more Scots in the future if they want to watch football here. “

FM Sturgeon asked fans not to travel to England to watch the match at licensed facilities and to help curb the increasing cases of Covid-19 being reported across the UK. She was backed by Celtic manager Neil Lennon and Rangers boss Steven Gerard, who also pleaded with his fans to stay home.

But his message was not heard as a group of Celtic fans also gathered to greet the arrival of their heroes to Parkhead with smoke bombs and firecrackers that emitted green smoke and a banner that read simply: “Today, nothing else matters.”

Tight restrictions apply in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Lanarkshire, Ayrshire and Arran, Lothian and Forth Valley health council areas, which have seen pubs closed across much of Scotland through October 25.

Hordes of fans were feared heading to Carlisle and Blackpool. But they decided not to go to Blackpool after Lancashire was placed in the top tier of England’s coronavirus measures, which also closed most of its pubs.

While the game was being played, the Scottish government confirmed that an additional 15 people who tested positive for coronavirus had died, bringing the total number of deaths in Scotland under the measure to 2609. Another 1,167 more people had tested positive in the same 24-year period. . period of hours.

Gamblers who ignored the health tips and went to Carlisle included caretaker Eammon Hood, who had traveled from Kilbirnie.

The 55-year-old Celtic fan said: “The pub was packed when I got here. I miss going to football but also the pub atmosphere to watch games. It was good to have that again. ”

At the nearby Australian-themed Walkabout bar, they had a capacity of 140 to watch both the Old Firm game and the Merseyside derby. But manager Carol Carruthers said the Scottish Premiership game was on three of her four televisions.

She said: “Almost everyone in the pub is Scottish, at least 80 percent. The vast majority are Rangers fans. Some people ended up watching the game through the beer garden window because there was no room. “

The couple John and Jane Haire, from Kilsyth, Lanarkshire, were celebrating their fourth wedding anniversary.

Coach John’s driver, a Rangers fan, said: “When we booked for Carlisle, we weren’t aware of all the hype around the game. It was well guarded and there were no problems. ”

Wife Jane, who works as an NHS Nurse at Paisley Royal Alexandra Hospital and supports Celtic, said: “I get tested for coronavirus regularly and the test is negative just before I get here on Friday. I’m sure we haven’t had Covid-19 here. ”

At The Griffin, just a few hundred yards from the train station, Old Firm fans flocked to watch the Rangers win 2-0 before taking to the streets full time.

Foster home cook Martin Peters from Saltcoats, Ayrshire, traveled on a “busy” train. The 37-year-old said: “I think pubs are much safer than other situations. I am here with three friends and, if we had not come, we would be at someone’s house without social distancing ”.

Window cleaner Steven Cummings, 52, of Johnstone, Renfrewshire, also supported the Rangers. He said, “With pubs closed in Scotland, I thought it was the perfect excuse to come to Carlisle.”

Some pubs had decided not to show the game amid Covid fears. Gallagher’s Irish Pub closes its doors for the day.

Cumbria police said last night that two fans were arrested at the Carlisle train station around 4.45pm. One was arrested for being drunk and
messy. The second was found to be in possession of drugs.

Superintendent Matt Kennerly said: “Intelligence earlier in the week suggested that a large number of fans were considering making the trip to Cumbria from Scotland.

“We work with coach companies and licensees around orientation. We had officers in Carlisle who interacted with the fans and no licensees were breaking the regulations. ”

Sturgeon is working on plans to ban travel between England and Scotland.

Yesterday, parts of Cumbria were upgraded to the Tier 2 “high-end” category.

The Scottish government declined to comment.