In recent reports, there has been an urgent call for increased accountability for football supporters’ disruptive behaviour, particularly in light of accusations against Celtic fans for public urination during the club’s title celebration in Glasgow. SNP MSP John Mason has proposed the possibility of deducting points from football clubs and imposing other penalties as a means to tackle potential future fan disturbances.
During the tumultuous celebration in the city’s Trongate area, approximately 25,000 Hoops supporters congregated to commemorate Celtic’s Scottish Premiership title victory. Regrettably, the event took a negative turn as fans partook in violent and antisocial conduct, resulting in injuries to four officers and 19 arrests.
In response to the situation, Community Safety Minister Siobhian Brown denounced the fans’ behaviour and raised the prospect of the Scottish Government instituting strict liability for football clubs in Scotland.
This plea for action was bolstered by Glasgow City Council, which labelled the fans’ conduct as “unacceptable” and was compelled to deploy staff overnight to clear the significant amount of litter left in the area.
During a deliberation in Holyrood, MSP John Mason underscored the necessity for clubs to assume responsibility for their fans and floated the notion of implementing measures such as fan zones and strict liability, including partial stadium closures, fines, and points deductions, akin to approaches adopted in Europe. In response, Community Safety Minister Siobhian Brown acknowledged that while strict liability is an option, the preferable course of action would be for footballing authorities to actively address and manage unacceptable fan behaviour.
The disorder that transpired amid the celebration has drawn censure from various figures, including local authority leader Susan Aitken, who expressed her dismay at the fans’ conduct and stressed the importance of showing respect towards fellow citizens and public property.
As deliberations persist on the most effective way to address this issue, it is evident that there is escalating concern about the imperative for clubs to shoulder greater responsibility for the conduct of their fans. The incidents in Glasgow have sparked broader dialogue about the potential repercussions and stricter measures that clubs could face in the event of similar disruptions in the future.
It remains to be determined whether the Scottish Government will enforce strict liability measures and whether football clubs will adopt a more proactive approach in addressing the conduct of their fans. As discussions progress, it is imperative for all parties involved to collaborate towards identifying a meaningful solution to prevent such incidents from recurring in the future.