Rangers and Celtic are expected to face charges from the Scottish Football Association following the use of pyrotechnics before Sunday’s Scottish League Cup final at Hampden Park, according to former FIFA referee Keith Hackett.
Supporters from both clubs set off flares as the Old Firm rivals lined up for the eagerly anticipated final on 15 December. The incident, captured by Sun Sport on Twitter, drew widespread attention.
Rangers, in particular, are no strangers to punishment for the use of pyrotechnics. The club has previously been fined twice by UEFA for similar incidents during matches against Malmo and Lyon, as reported by BBC Sport.
Despite a plea from interim chairman John Gilligan urging fans to stop using flares, the Gers, along with Celtic and Motherwell, were charged by the SPFL for similar behaviour during the League Cup semi-finals earlier this year.
Hackett believes the SFA’s response is inevitable. Speaking exclusively to Ibrox News, he said:
“The first question to ask is how do fans get these into the stadium? I have no doubt that the SPFL will charge both clubs with regard to the use of these flares inside the stadium.”
The pyrotechnics were not the only flashpoint of the day. Earlier, The Scottish Sun shared images of clashes between supporters and police in the build-up to kick-off.
The report described the scenes as “ugly,” with one masked supporter confronting police outside Glasgow Central Station.
Barry Anderson of Edinburgh News also posted video footage of the disturbances.
Hackett added:
“It was not a good start leading up to kick-off with fighting in the streets and now flares inside the stadium.”
The incident casts a shadow over what should have been a showcase event for Scottish football.
