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Scottish football authorities have been ordered to attend crisis talks with the government as fears mount that rival fans will break lockdown rules in the upcoming Old Firm showdown.
Record sport May reveal Hampden’s top brass Ian Maxwell and Neil Doncaster were asked to hold an urgent video conference with the Minister of Public Health, Sport and Welfare, Mairi Gougeon, to discuss the scenes in Glasgow on Sunday night when thousands of fans of the Rangers took to the streets to celebrate the club’s first top-flight title in ten years.
The footage from the mass gatherings prompted a harsh reprimand from Deputy Prime Minister John Swinney in yesterday’s daily coronavirus briefing, as well as a warning that football clubs and governing bodies will have to satisfy Holyrood that they will not be repeated. infractions between now and the end of the stream. Bell.
Swinney did not go so far as to threaten to disconnect the remainder of the season, but emphasized that he could “rule nothing out” while criticizing the Rangers for not demanding that their supporters disperse from the city’s Ibrox and George Square outskirts.
And his blast was followed by Gougeon, who reached out to SFA Executive Director Maxwell and his SPFL counterpart Doncaster to discuss what steps can be taken to prevent more supporters from putting public health at risk. by showing up in large numbers as the season reaches a climax behind closed doors.
Maxwell could even come under pressure to make an example of the Rangers throwing the discipline book at them before the derby showdown at Parkhead one week on Sunday.
It is understood that the government, police and health officials are concerned that fans from both sides may descend on the outskirts of the stadium with the potential for serious public order problems.
Celtic supporters have already come under fire for protesting in the Celtic Park parking lot earlier this season when the club’s quest to win ten consecutive historic titles began to hit the pinnacle.
(Image: Daily log)
And Swinney doubled down on the other side of town when he opened the daily briefing with a bang at the Rangers condemning the scenes as ‘disgraceful’ and ’embarrassing’.
Swinney went on to say, “We are going to engage with clubs once again on their obligations to support the broader message out there to enforce the nation’s law on staying home and avoiding crowded places.
“So we will engage with the clubs, the football authorities and also the Scottish police on all these matters to make sure that everyone plays their part in trying to avoid situations like this.
“There are a number of different iconic events that will appear on the football calendar in the coming weeks and we have to be satisfied that we are not running the risk of a repeat of what we saw over the weekend.
“We will participate in those discussions and if further action is needed, the government will obviously consider it. I’m certainly not ruling anything out today.
“But we have taken some special measures to try to make sure that football can run its course. It is a real regret that we are here once again having to discuss examples where behavior in and around football did not help us in our efforts to control the virus. “
Swinney also attacked the Ibrox hierarchy for failing to act as the crowd began to gather, adding: “The Rangers’ silence was deafening and that is cause for deep regret.”
(Image: PA)
The Rangers responded by issuing a statement highlighting repeated requests from manager Steven Gerrard for fans to party safely at home.
It read: “We reiterate the message from our manager, Steven Gerrard, who stressed that fans should adhere to government guidelines: stay safe, socially distance, and take care of each other in this difficult time.
“We are aware that there is the potential for more important milestones within this season, and we will continue to proactively engage with key stakeholders to maintain a consistent message regarding government guidance at this time.
“We look forward to continuing to engage in an open dialogue with the government, the police, the SPFL and other key stakeholders.”
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