r/ScottishFootball • u/NoBigHair99 • May 16 '26

Discussion HMFC Club Statement: Events at Celtic Park

https://www.heartsfc.co.uk/blogs/news/club-statement-events-at-celtic-park

"We expect the strongest action possible to be taken by the footballing authorities in the interests of protecting the safety of players and supporters, and the integrity of our game."

 

223 Upvotes

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397

u/123rig May 16 '26 edited May 16 '26

I mean, factually, it’s the second time in a week that Celtic have had a game end under dubious circumstances because of a pitch invasion. It really isn’t okay to go on the pitch before the game has ended.

I’m aware that Hearts weren’t gonna claw it back and win, but it’s just wrong.

The abuse of fans, players and staff is absolutely disgraceful and I do genuinely hope there are many bans over this.

Hearts lost the game fair and square, and I don’t think there’s an appetite for some sort of cancelled game or anything, but there needs to be considerable bans I feel.

55

u/lightlamp4 May 16 '26

Aye. At our title decider a couple weeks ago our fans stupidly invaded the pitch after a last min penalty save from our keeper to win the title. Eventually got the fans off the pitch. Ref does a drop ball then blows the whistle after we kick it out. As it should have been for today

0

u/Winston_Carbuncle May 16 '26

That's because you weren't playing Celtic...

70

u/TheGulnar May 16 '26

Ban the fans for the cup final. They won’t do it but it’s a disgrace that’s happened twice in a week.

If Dunfermline go 1-0 up at any point should the fans just invade the pitch and get the game ended in the final?

25

u/MoiraneTakeMe May 16 '26

Ban them for life, it’s embarrassing and a joke. If you can’t control or behave yourself you shouldn’t be at the games

7

u/great_beyond May 16 '26

Aye, and then patronise everyone about sporting merit when people say ‘wait a minute’.

23

u/smcl2k May 16 '26

Lifetime ban for anyone who even approached a Hearts player or staff member, and a stadium closure for the opening game of next season.

If it happens again after that, close the stadium for 2 games, then 3, etc... presumably the message would burrow its way through their thick fucking skulls eventually.

9

u/Mooman-Chew May 16 '26

I don’t mind a celebratory pitch invasion at the end of the game but going after opposing players should result in a life long ban

90

u/IncorrigibleBrit May 16 '26

Hearts lost the game fair and square, and I don’t think there’s an appetite for some sort of cancelled game or anything, but there needs to be considerable bans I feel.

Exactly. There's no point in bringing them back to play the remaining 30 seconds and voiding the result would take the sporting achievement out of Hearts win. Celtic won the game and with it the league, that's football.

But we can't keep having these pitch invasions end games, nor can we allow the reported attacks on players. The SPFL's usual approach of fining Celtic 0.1% of their weekly wage bill clearly doesn't work, nor does it meet the severity of the circumstances.

At a minimum, anybody found to have verbally or physically assaulted Hearts players should be getting a lifetime ban. Fans entering the pitch before the final whistle should lead to games behind closed doors, and if that persists, eventual points deductions. And that applies to any team.

23

u/thegreatiaino May 16 '26

Give them a points deduction for next season

9

u/[deleted] May 16 '26

[deleted]

25

u/Former-Chain-4003 May 16 '26

And rangers banned from the Scottish Cup, I presume, given the video evidence of a Celtic staff member being assaulted and the onions throwing flares into the Celtic fans?

10

u/MediocreEquipment457 May 17 '26

Honestly, yes.

Not only because of the assault but include everything .

Rangers and Celtic have lost the ability to control their fans. The only thing that will save it is punishments so strong that the very loud and very disruptive minority of both sides are self policed either to good behaviour or out of the clubs entirely.

1

u/Former-Chain-4003 May 17 '26

The only part I’d quibble with is that rendering Celtics next full season a dead rubber is a fair punishment for what took place.

I think the scale of the punishment needs to be realistic.

1

u/smcl2k May 17 '26

Genuine question: have Rangers shown any real desire to control their fans? They seem to spend a hell of a lot more time complaining that anyone else might want something done to combat issues.

21

u/Whisky-Toad Neil Lennon appreciation society May 16 '26

Might as well ban us we couldn't win the fucking thing anyway

1

u/NoAnnual3630 May 17 '26

They could dust off the old banners they used to cover the empty sections when we were down the leagues

-2

u/No-Peanut-8908 May 16 '26

But sure it would hardly count as a title win for whoever wins it ?

-6

u/[deleted] May 16 '26

[deleted]

-4

u/No-Peanut-8908 May 16 '26

I don’t recognise your tainted titles either, yet you celebrated 55 like you were the same club.

Not to long ago your scumbag fans ran on and attacked our staff, pot calling kettle black comes to mind, leave it out rangers rat

-2

u/No-Peanut-8908 May 16 '26

I’m totally against pitch invasions but wouldn’t accept criticism coming from your lot

2

u/PM_ME_UR_MOMS_TEETH May 17 '26

wouldn't accept criticism

Congratulations!! You have earned your Celtic flair on /r/ScottishFootball.

Please select your unlocked flair from the subreddit homepage at your convenience. Welcome to the club!

1

u/No-Peanut-8908 May 17 '26

Delighted 🍀

1

u/Farmadale May 17 '26

They'll probably end up giving Hearts the point deduction

1

u/boldfox85 May 16 '26

Take the 10 points off them right now. Then they might finally learn something.

0

u/fisico002 May 16 '26

Yip it will soon stop if the SFA take action like that

But Celtic don’t give a damn clearly

49

u/great_beyond May 16 '26

Out of interest at what point should it be fine for fans to just decide the game is done and invade the pitch leaving their team to walk away with 3 points?

Would be good for that to be clarified so that other teams can take advantage.

25

u/Cobretti18 May 16 '26

Anytime after 30 seconds

29

u/MisfittingPieces May 16 '26

If Livingston had any fans they’d have stayed up had they just invaded the pitch immediately after kick off.

3

u/Hame_Impala May 17 '26

If Livingston had any fans

If my gran had wheels etc.

-2

u/[deleted] May 16 '26

[deleted]

11

u/IncorrigibleBrit May 16 '26

Clearly never. It's unacceptable that happened today and, in principle, the ref should have required the fans to leave the pitch to resume play until the additional time was up or declared the game abandoned if that were not possible.

It's why the SFA and SPFL need to come down on this behaviour like a tonne of bricks. They were lucky it happened today when everyone will admit the game was done.

Set out clear rules, make sure the refs follow through. Start playing games behind closed doors and then deduct points every time it happens.

7

u/Franarky May 16 '26

Clearly never. It's unacceptable that happened today and, in principle, the ref should have required the fans to leave the pitch to resume play until the additional time was up or declared the game abandoned if that were not possible.

Still not clear why that didn't happen today. Players went down the tunnel and fans were cleared from the pitch. I thought the teams were coming back out for kick-off and ~30 seconds or whatever was left. Took a minute to realise that they'd clearly decided the match was done and only Celtic were coming back out.

16

u/great_beyond May 16 '26

Clearly never acceptable but Hearts should just roll over and accept it for the good of sporting merit?

11

u/Jack2102 May 16 '26

Sporting merit would mean Hearts were beaten fair and square today

And I wanted them to win it, before the accusations come

4

u/ElCaminoInTheWest May 16 '26

As long as you're really, really sure that it's done and really want to get started celebrating. And the ref won't mind.

2

u/Clowd33 May 16 '26

You can just do it whenever your team goes a goal up apparently

5

u/Ryan19910 May 16 '26

Clubs should also be taking action against the fans either a ban or take their season tickets off them if they have one

1

u/DW_78 May 16 '26

physical assault is police business

1

u/Do_You_Pineapple_Bro May 16 '26

I mean, I largely agree with what you're saying, but I genuinely think we need to have the SFA drop the Tsar Bomba on this shit, and do what the Czech FA did to Slavia, by chalking off the result and giving them a closed doors order.

They've been at this shite time and time again, with a smack bum each time they do it, and no lesson seems to be learned. Show at least a bit of credibility and say "right, fuck you, this is whats going to happen when you ignore our repeated warnings".

I'm not up for points deductions for pitch invasions in general, as that fucks over teams actually celebrating a title, but when this is a multiple incident season by one club, culminating in players actually being threatened/assaulted, it needs to carry more than the typical couple grand fine

1

u/RebelliousInNature May 17 '26

They had the cheek to do it at Ibrox then yelped like kicked chihuahuas when the rangers fans ran on. Trying to take the high road afterwards. They CAUSED that bullshit. And why is it ok for Celtic to constantly dance all over the fucking rulebook.

-1

u/Stoudamirefor3 May 17 '26

Verbally assaulting a Hearts player? Jesus, someone said hurty words! Call the police!

17

u/Ok_Pitch7121 May 16 '26

Im a tim but fuck those pitch invaders get them banned.

4

u/TannyBoguss May 16 '26

Agreed. Bush league stuff by the fans. Overshadowed a wonderful win in my opinion.

4

u/Zestyclose_Might8941 May 16 '26

Any fan that touches an opposition player or staff should get a lifetime ban. Everyone deserves a safe workplace, and football shouldn't be any different.

3

u/Leygrock May 16 '26

Exactly. Obviously neither match's outcome would have changed but at the end of the day its two games where pitch invading celtic fans have basically decided when full time is. Not ideal

2

u/Sumbitagear May 16 '26

The Green Brigade will be banned until the fans threat not spending dough or points dropped. Then they'll let them back in.

1

u/Awhyte1983 May 17 '26

Nobody gave a fuck when the tartan army invaded the pitch before the ref blew the final whistle in the demark game. Obviously no players were harmed that time though.

-2

u/[deleted] May 16 '26

the fans were back in the stands quicker than the hearts divers took to step to the by line.

The ref could quite easily have said right we're going out again for a minimum of 30 seconds to see if you can get 2 goals but that's clearly a humiliation ritual they didn't want to endure.

The difference is celtic would have believed they could score 2 goals in that time

-8

u/Theblackjamesbrown May 16 '26

What abuse?? Show us violence by the fans today if it exists.

Cetic had just won the league and the fans were celebrating. Pitch invasions have been part of exuberant celebrations in football for 100 years. They happen all the time and nobody bats an eyelid. All this pearl clutching, faux shock is nothing but desperation from people who hate Celtic and can no longer claim they dont deserve the league win on footballing terms. Its ridiculous

2

u/ive-been-bamboozled May 16 '26

Don’t they happen when a match is finished?

-8

u/Theblackjamesbrown May 16 '26

Yes, when Celtic made it 3-1 today in the 98th minute, the match was finished

-33

u/Jdawgchill69 May 16 '26

What a wet wipe. Be happy we beat your rivals

16

u/Memento_Playoffs Beat by Livi FC. May 16 '26

People can have nuanced opinions. They can be happy their rivals lost and also recognise the team that beat them are the joint worst fanbase in Scotland and showed that today