Scottish Government ‘to call Celtic & Rangers today after violent disorder’
Keith Hackett believes the Scottish government will speak to both Celtic and Rangers after violent disorder broke out in Glasgow ahead of the Scottish League Cup final.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former PGMOL chief, ex-FIFA, and Premier League referee believes that the Scottish government “will look in very carefully” at what happened before the game at Hampden Park.
Celtic walked away with the first trophy of the season via a penalty shootout after the two teams drew 3-3 following extra time.
However, the focus will be placed on the chaos that took place in the city centre ahead of the game as large groups of fans were seen charging down Argyle Street, firing flares near shoppers who had nothing to do with the football.
Missiles were launched between the two sets of fans while windows were smashed and damage was caused all around them.
Celtic and Rangers fans provided a bad look for football
Hackett told Football Insider, “The Scottish government will look in very carefully and they will probably today/tomorrow call a meeting with both clubs.
“Remember, there’s a great deal of planning goes into these games.
“There are club individuals who are charged with crowd safety, and yes this was at Hampden and not a club ground, so in a sense it comes under the banner of the Scottish FA, Hampden is their headquarters.
“This is a bigger picture thing and government will likely ask the football association, the two clubs, the ground controller, the police officer in charge of it overall.
“There’s a great deal of work that goes in before a match, days and days in advance planning.
“Where they site mobile cameras, there will be a lot of footage.
“I just wonder given what happened in Rotherham and what we’ve seen, where there were attacks on people staying in a hotel, they didn’t look as violent albeit they’ve proven that the outcome has been prison sentences.
“It will be interesting to see how the match footage is viewed and how government in Scotland, which operates independently, what course of action is taken.
“But it is not good for football, it’s not good for the game as a whole.”
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