FANS INVADE THE PITCH AS CELTIC AND RANGERS FANS CLASH AT IBROX PARK

By BBC Scotland

Celtic and Rangers fans have clashed during a pitch invasion following a turbulent Scottish Cup tie at Ibrox Park this afternoon.

Fans of the East End side initially spilled onto the pitch in celebration after a 4-2 win on penalties.

But scenes turned ugly as Rangers fans, a number of them wearing blue balaclaves, joined the fracas, with flares and bottles thrown and police and stewards forming a barricade between the two sides.

Remarkably, the crowd disorder quickly settled down with fans returning to the stands.

A line of police on the pitch at Ibrox during an invasion of both Celtic and Rangers fans. A flare burns on the pitch in the foreground

A number of football fans running across a football pitch wearing black clothing and face coverings.

It was the first time Celtic supporters have been given the full Broomloan Stand allocation at Ibrox since it was reduced to fewer than 1,000 in 2018.

Traditionally, around 7,500 Celtic fans filled the stand for Old Firm derbies.

Since then, away allocations at both Ibrox and Celtic Park have fluctuated between about 750 and zero in a series of tit-for-tat moves.

The Scottish Football Association condemned the supporters who went onto the pitch and said an investigation would be carried out “immediately”.

Green smoke over a stand full of Celtic fans at Ibrox - a few of the fans are waving Palestinian flags

Scotland’s victims and community safety minister Siobhan Brown said the scenes were “unacceptable”.

She said: “Of particular concern is the reckless use of pyrotechnics which could have caused serious injury.”

Brown, LEFT, highlighted that the Scottish government had recently consulted on extending powers to ban football fans from games and was “considering next steps”.

Currently Football Banning Orders (FBOs) are only imposed if supporters are involved in violence or disorder – they enable the authorities to stop fans attending games anywhere in the UK for 10 years.

Both clubs told BBC Sport they would not comment officially yet.

In a post-match interview, Celtic manager Martin O’Neill said: “You’re asking me a lot of political questions in this moment when I’m in a euphoric state.

“The fans have spilled over, big scenes at the end, all over the place. I’m not diminishing it at all, I will have a think about it and speak to you in due course.”

Meanwhile Rangers head coach Danny Rohl told Premier Sports: “I’m not sure what was at the end, I was in the tunnel.”

Following the Scottish Cup quarter final between Rangers and Celtic at Ibrox Stadium on Sunday, 8 March 2026, Chief Superintendent Kate Stephen, pictured right, said: “The behaviour of a number of supporters at the Scottish Cup quarter final between Rangers and Celtic at Ibrox today was shameful. It must be condemned by everyone involved in football and wider society.

“A number of arrests have already been made, and Police Scotland will now work with both clubs and the Scottish Football Association to carry out a robust investigation following the scenes on the pitch at the conclusion of the match.

“Officers and stewards were faced with extreme hostility and violence over a sustained period, with many individuals having armed themselves with items clearly intended to cause harm. Officers and members of the public have been injured in this despicable display and I want to express my thanks to all officers and staff deployed.

“The investigation will also include the actions of some supporters who entered the Broomloan Road stand without tickets before the match started, forcing delays in the security operation and the turnstiles to be closed for a period of time.

“I would also urge anyone with information about who was involved in disorder before, during or after the match to get in touch with Police Scotland on 101.”