A 32-year-old man has been charged with allegedly throwing a bottle at iBrooks after Rangers promised to ban any supporters involved in Sunday’s Old Farm defeat.
Celtic defender Joe Hart saw a piece of glass across his penalty area after throwing a bottle from the Copeland Road stand, causing a five-minute delay in the second half.
After the game, Celtic manager Ange Postecoglo revealed that a member of his backroom staff was also hit with a bottle thrown by a member of the iBrox crowd, which required stitching.
A Rangers spokesman said after the two incidents Sky Sports News: “We are assisting the Scottish police in both incidents and can ensure that the stadium’s CCTV is being reviewed.
“We strongly condemn both incidents and the perpetrators will be banned.”
A 32-year-old man has been arrested in connection with an incident and is due to appear in court on Monday, April 11.
Bottle incident ‘Offensive’ and ‘Shameful’
Police Scotland said they are currently conducting an investigation to establish the full circumstances of the incident in Hart’s penalty area.
Former Celtic striker Andy Walker, who was commenting on the match Sky Sports, Says: “It is absolutely offensive to see a broken bottle on the playground that could affect the referee, the player, anyone whose goal. It’s offensive.
“It’s one thing to demonstrate, as we saw a few weeks ago, to protest using tennis balls, toilet paper – and we can get into trouble. But the broken bottle? Believe it or not.
Rangers striker Kemar Roof Hart helped ground staff clear the penalty area
“Are you trying to sell this game everywhere, our showpiece occasion?” [These are] Shameful scene, embarrassing anyone would choose to throw something on the pitch, don’t feel like a broken bottle.
Rangers icon Ally McQuest added: “This is [embarrassing] That’s exactly what. You keep thinking nothing else will surprise you but my dear. Honestly? Extreme stupidity. “
About 10 minutes later, the Celtic attacker Jota was about to take a corner when an object was thrown at him.
‘You don’t need some idiots to ruin it’
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Postecoglu confirmed the incident, which saw one of his workers hit with a bottle, causing him to have to sew, at the end of the first half, when both teams were tunneling into Ibrox.
“I think she’s fine. She had a few stitches,” Postecoglo said. “It simply came to our notice then.
“Your two teams are going first and second in it and you don’t need some idiots to ruin it.
“It’s frustrating, you don’t have to. I don’t know what people are trying to achieve by doing this. I thought it was a fantastic spectacle.
“Sitting here as a winning coach now, that kind of spoils my vision, but I thought anyone would agree that it’s a good game of football and you can say that both ways had something meaningful at the end of it. The set of players went for it.
“As I said their crowd was for it, 700 of us were ready for it and couldn’t stop signing. That’s what you want. “
A Celtic statement read: “We can confirm that a member of our backroom staff was hit by a glass bottle. He needs emergency treatment and stitches to his head wounds. The matter is now in the hands of Scottish police.
A Scottish police spokesman said Sky Sports News: “We are aware of the throwing of a glass bottle at Ibroux Stadium in Glasgow during the Rangers vs Celtic match on Sunday, April 3, 2022.
“One person was injured and is in need of medical treatment.
“An investigation is currently underway to establish the full situation.”
Sturgeon hits the ‘unacceptable’ scene
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon on Sunday criticized those involved in the off-field incident.
Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has condemned Rangers supporters who married Sunday’s Mitch with their “irrational, ridiculous behavior”.
“This kind of behavior is not acceptable,” the prime minister told LBC on Monday.
“Whether it’s a football match or on the street, it’s not acceptable for people to throw glass bottles.
“It simply came to our notice then.
“But these are issues for the authorities, obviously for the football authorities and potential police and criminal justice authorities.
“No matter which team you support, I’m not the biggest football fan in the world and not only because my team is United, but people can enjoy football.
“Football should be something that people can take their kids to and have a happy, joyful occasion.
“Whether it’s at an Old Firm match or at another football match, that should be treated as such, and it should be considered absolutely unacceptable.”
Three people have been arrested after the Ibrox vandalism
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Three people were arrested after a turnstile in ibrooks, which was supposed to be used by Rangers fans on Sunday, was vandalized by spreading foam before the game.
Foam was sprayed around the turnstile entrance at the Brumlon end, which was traditionally used as the far end for Celtic fans in this fixture.
Only 708 tickets were allocated for Celtic fans for the match, in stark contrast to the 7,000 tickets given to each visiting team at Old Farm Fixtures before 2018. Sunday’s match was Glasgow’s first derby where fans were pushed away. Soil before the epidemic.
A police statement said: “Police responded at around 2.45am on Sunday, April 3, 2022, after vandalism at the Ibrox Stadium in Govan.
Officers were present and three men, aged 18, 22 and 25, were arrested on suspicion of involvement in the incident. The investigation is ongoing. “
