The fallout from the chaotic scenes at Ibrox Stadium continues, with blame still being directed at supporters of both Celticand Rangers following the violent incidents that erupted after their dramatic Scottish Cup quarter-final penalty shoot-out.
In the aftermath, the Celtic Fans Collective released a statement pointing the finger at Police Scotland and Parkhead’s head of security, Mark Hargreaves, accusing them of failing to implement adequate crowd control measures.
Former Celtic striker Frank McAvennie also criticised the handling of security at the match, arguing that the police had not fulfilled their responsibilities both before and during the game.
Now outspoken pundit Simon Jordan has added his voice to the debate. Speaking on talkSPORT, Jordan defended the role of stewards but questioned whether enough police officers were deployed for such a high-risk fixture.
Jordan questions policing at Ibrox
Jordan argued that banning away supporters entirely would not be the right solution.
“That can’t be the ideal outcome,” he said. “You can’t allow a minority to dictate the experience for the majority. There will always be small groups within fan bases who think they can behave however they like.”
He suggested that Rangers must have provided assurances regarding safety and security in order to receive the necessary approval to host the match.
“There would have been commitments made about how the game would be stewarded and policed,” he explained. “Questions about stewarding will likely be answered quite quickly.”
However, Jordan stressed that stewards cannot be expected to deal with violent confrontations.
“They’re not there to physically confront people. That’s not their role, and it’s certainly beyond what they’re paid to do. The real question is about policing and how many officers were present.”
Jordan also noted that, while the incidents were serious, football-related disorder today is still far removed from the levels seen in the 1980s.
Criticism of media reaction and arrests
The former Crystal Palace chairman also criticised some of the media commentary surrounding the events.
He questioned why pundits and reporters were quick to accuse clubs of tolerating problematic supporter groups without acknowledging the complexity of managing football crowds.
Jordan also raised concerns about the limited number of arrests made following the disorder.
“Why weren’t the police arresting people on the pitch?” he asked. “You see individuals running around wearing masks and causing trouble. Why weren’t they being detained there and then?”
Calls for answers over security measures
For many observers, the scenes have raised serious questions about matchday security at Ibrox.
Some critics have pointed to what appeared to be a heavy police presence around the Celtic end before kick-off, yet far fewer officers visible inside the stadium as tensions escalated toward the end of the match.
Others have questioned why there was not a stronger line of police and stewards near the goal areas as the penalty shoot-out concluded.
There are also renewed concerns about the safety of visiting staff and players, particularly after reports that members of the Celtic backroom team were assaulted during the chaos.
As investigations continue, pressure is mounting for answers over how such scenes were allowed to unfold at one of the most high-profile fixtures in Scottish football.
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