Sunday at 9: 00 a. m. ET — Footage of Celtic supporters arriving early at Ibrox for the scottish cup quarter-final shows chaotic scenes, and former official Keith Hackett has warned that courts could impose heavy fines if trouble continues. Why now: supporters streamed through barriers on matchday morning as Celtic were given a larger allocation for this cup tie.
Celtic fans arriving early at Ibrox produced chaotic scenes
Video from the ground shows thousands of Celtic supporters funnelled down Broomloan Road and held by police before gates opened; some rushed barriers and forced their way past ticket checks while police horses were brought in. A number of fans were seen limping after the rush, and others with children or crutches were caught up in the congestion.
Keith Hackett warns fines and holding cells after footage from Ibrox
Keith Hackett said that fans who misbehave risk being detained and fined by magistrates’ courts, and that those placed in holding cells would miss the match. He urged supporters to behave and to focus on cheering for their teams rather than confronting police or security stewards.
Scottish Cup allocation expanded and more than 7, 000 Celtic supporters to travel
Celtic have been given a much bigger allocation for this scottish cup quarter-final, and more than 7, 000 travelling supporters are expected to be in the stadium — the Broomloan Stand will be packed with Bhoys for the first time in eight years. That larger allocation, combined with early arrival, contributed to the pressure on policing and stewarding on site.
Rangers were preparing to host their rivals in the quarter-finals a week on from a 2-2 league draw at the same ground, and the heightened atmosphere from that recent fixture appears to have carried into matchday movements at Ibrox.
Police and stewards kept groups of supporters in holding areas on Broomloan Road before letting them through; several fans challenged authorities after bypassing checks, expressing anger at the way they had been funneled. Organisers brought in additional containment measures as crowds built up outside the stadium.
Matchday squad lists available for the fixture show both Rangers and Celtic with full lineups named for the meeting, underlining that both clubs intended to contest the cup tie with strong selections.
Sentiment among onlookers at the scene ranged from anger to relief that no serious injuries were evident despite the pushing and shoving. One supporter noted the presence of older fans and children among those caught up in the crush and described the scenes as dangerous.
Police maintained a heavy presence throughout the morning and intervened where fans broke through cordons; horses were deployed to help control movement. Organisers later moved to secure entrances more tightly once the gates opened to avoid further incidents inside the turnstile areas.
The immediate consequence of the footage and the early-morning disorder is a renewed warning from a senior former official about legal penalties for misbehaving fans, and a reminder that disruption could lead to individual arrests and fines.
Next confirmed milestone: the scottish cup quarter-final is scheduled for Sunday, with the matchday start and remaining official timings expected to be confirmed by match organisers; more details expected 9: 00 a. m. ET. If further disorder occurs, authorities have signalled that prosecutions and fines are likely to follow.
