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Old Firm: Rangers assisting Police Scotland in glass bottle investigations

  /  autty

Rangers have vowed to ban any supporters found guilty of throwing glass bottles during Sunday's Old Firm defeat at Ibrox.

The second half of the match was delayed by five minutes after shards of glass were spotted by Celtic 'keeper Joe Hart across his penalty area after a bottle was thrown from the Copland Road Stand.

After the game, Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou revealed that a member of his backroom staff was also hit with a bottle thrown by a member of the Ibrox crowd, with the individual needing stitches.

Following the two incidents, a Rangers spokesperson told Sky Sports News: "We are assisting Police Scotland regarding both incidents and can confirm that stadium CCTV is being reviewed.

"We strongly condemn both incidents and the perpetrators will be banned."

Bottle incident is 'outrageous' and 'shameful'

Police Scotland say they are currently continuing enquiries to establish the full circumstances regarding the incident in Hart's penalty area.

Former Celtic striker Andy Walker, who was commentating on the match on Sky Sports, said: "That is absolutely outrageous, to see broken bottles on the field of play which can affect the referee, the players, anyone that it's aimed at. It's outrageous.

"It's one thing to demonstrate, as we saw a couple of weeks ago, to protest using tennis balls, toilet paper - and we'd even get issues with that. But broken bottles? It beggars belief.

"You're trying to sell this game everywhere, our showpiece occasion? [These are] shameful scenes, shameful that anyone would choose to throw anything onto the pitch, never mind a broken bottle."

Rangers icon Ally McCoist added: "That [embarrassing] is exactly what it is. You keep thinking nothing will ever surprise you anymore but dear me. Honestly? Absolute gross stupidity."

Around 10 minutes later, objects were thrown at Celtic attacker Jota when he was about to take a corner.

'You don't need a couple of idiots spoiling it'

Postecoglou confirmed the incident that saw one of his staff hit with a bottle, that left him requiring stitches, took place at the end of the first half as both teams made their way up the tunnel at Ibrox.

"I think he is okay, he had a couple of stitches," said Postecoglou. "It is disappointing because this is a game that gets beamed around the world and it stands on its own.

"You had two teams going at it in first and second spot and you don't need a couple of idiots spoiling it.

"It is disappointing, you don't need it. I don't know what people are trying to achieve by doing that. I thought it was a fantastic spectacle.

"Sitting here now as the winning coach, that kind of taints my view of it, but I thought anybody watching that would agree it was a good game of football and you could tell there was something meaningful at the end of it by the way both sets of players went at it.

"Like I said their crowd was up for it, our 700 was up for it and couldn't stop signing. That is what you want."

A Celtic statement read: "We can confirm that a member of our backroom staff was struck by a glass bottle. He required urgent medical treatment and stitches to a head wound. The matter is now in the hands of Police Scotland."

A Police Scotland spokesperson told Sky Sports News: "We are aware of a glass bottle being thrown at Ibrox Stadium, Glasgow during the Rangers v Celtic match on Sunday, April 3, 2022.

"One man has sustained injuries as a result of this and required treatment.

"Enquiries are currently ongoing to establish the full circumstances."

Three arrested after Ibrox vandalism

Three people were arrested after turnstiles at Ibrox, which were supposed to be used by Rangers fans on Sunday, were vandalised with expanding foam ahead of the game.

The foam was sprayed around the entrances to the turnstiles at the Broomloan end, which used to traditionally be the away end for Celtic fans in this fixture.

Only 708 tickets were allocated to Celtic supporters for the fixture, which is a stark contrast to the 7,000 tickets that used to be given to every visiting team at Old Firm fixtures before 2018. Sunday's fixture was the first Glasgow derby to have away supporters in the ground since before the pandemic.

A police statement read: "Police responded around 2.45am on Sunday, April 3, 2022 following vandalism at Ibrox Stadium, Govan.

"Officers attended and three men aged 18, 22 and 25 have been arrested and charged in connection with the incident. Enquiries remain ongoing."