Celtic and Rangers managers react to ugly Ibrox scenes amid concern over future impact on away fans

The Scottish Football Association have promised to look into the supporter disorder that caused Celtic’s penalty shootout victory over Rangers in the Scottish Cup quarter-finals at Ibrox to descend into chaos.

What is certain to prove Celtic manager Martin O’Neill’s final match at the stadium will be remembered for very different reasons after scenes of mayhem among fans, hundreds of whom encroached on the pitch.

Celtic earned a place in the last four of the Scottish Cup after Tomas Cvancara’s coolly slotted penalty confirmed a 4-2 victory on penalties after the goalless draw. Away fans poured over the hoardings at the Broomloan Road Stand to celebrate. Over 7,000 Celtic fans were present, the club’s largest following at Ibrox since 2018. Hundreds of Rangers supporters left their seats in the Copland Road Stand in a bid to confront those Celtic fans on the pitch at the other end of the stadium.

A flare is thrown towards police and stewards as trouble flares after Celtic's Scottish Cup quarter-final win over Rangers at Ibrox. (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group) | SNS Group

The players were eventually escorted from the playing area but not before some Celtic players, including full back Julian Araujo, were involved in a confrontation with a group of Rangers fans. Araujo had earlier jumped to swing on the crossbar in front of the Celtic fans as he celebrated the victory. Flares and flagpoles were thrown by both sets of fans. Footage of a number of Celtic fans breaking through a door of the Broomloan Road Stand to gain entry circulated on social media before kick-off.

A statement from the SFA had been released by the time Rangers manager Danny Rohl started his post-match press conference. “The Scottish FA condemns the behaviour from supporters entering the field of play following today’s Scottish Gas Quarter-Final at Ibrox Stadium,” it said. “An investigation will be carried out immediately in line with the Judicial Panel Protocol."

O’Neill confirmed no Celtic staff members were hurt in the melee. “As we were making our way back (to the dressing room), I think there was some sort of fracas,” he said. “Somebody tried to get on the field. I don't know, all I saw was there was a bit of a scrum down at the bottom. And as you say, maybe it does taint proceedings. I think there's an element of self-protection. Please, I'm making judgments here on things that I only half saw.”

He added that it was “worrying” as well as regrettable that such scenes will overshadow a famous if somewhat fortuitous win for his side, who were out played throughout. Rangers, however, were unable to find the crucial goal. Celtic had no shots on target in the entire 120 minutes. Despite all of their possession, Rangers did not make Celtic goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo work hard enough. Both sides had goals ruled out: Celtic's for offside and Rangers' for handball.

Celtic players are escorted down the tunnel as fans storm onto the pitch after their Scottish Cup quarter-final win over Rangers at Ibrox Stadium. (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group) | SNS Group

Perhaps more significant is the impact the post-match scenes will have on the fixture going forward. There had been hopes that the larger allocation of away fans allowed in for this Scottish Cup fixture might herald the permanent return of this more civil arrangement. The scenes at Ibrox seem certain to have put this idea into cold storage.

“That's not for me to make a judgment,” said O’Neill. “Certainly not only 20 minutes after the game is over. So I don't know that. If it is, if that's the case, that's a concern.

“For me, from a distance, I've been saying that the fixture itself is still a phenomenal fixture,” he added. “There's no question about that. It had lost a bit of its lustre because the away fans, the full complement of away fans, weren't allowed in. And I have no idea what might happen.”

‘Will be the same in 500 years’

The Celtic manager admitted that, in his view, the animosity has not diminished during his long absence from the fixture. O’Neill has spent two successive Sundays at Ibrox - Celtic drew a league fixture 2-2 last weekend - having not visited the stadium as Celtic manager since 2005. “I don't know whether it (the spite) has grown," he said. "It hasn't lessened. Let me put it this way. And if any of us ever come down to this earth in 500 years, it will be exactly the same. Exactly the same.”

Rohl could not hide his disappointment at the end although he was consumed by dismay at seeing his team defeated. He did not witness the disorder having departed quickly down the tunnel at the end. James Tavernier and Djeidi Gassama were the Rangers players who failed to score their penalties: Tavernier struck the bar, and Gassama blazed over.

“I was not on the pitch in this moment," said Rohl, when asked about the fan invasion. "I didn't see it until now. I heard just that there was something on the pitch. I think we all know the emotional situation after a game. Nobody likes to see this. I think it was a great atmosphere for 120 minutes. I think it should be like this. All the other things should not be in the stadium or around football.”