The Scottish Football Association (SFA) has published its independent review into the Scottish Cup quarter-final match at Ibrox, which led to disciplinary charges for both Celtic and Rangers. The report details the events of March, when a section of Celtic supporters entered the pitch after their penalty shootout victory, prompting a retaliatory incursion by Rangers fans.
The review, led by Mark Blackbourne, found that a four-minute and 28-second period was required for Police Scotland to regain control of the pitch, a duration during which "life-threatening violence" was considered possible. The report also highlighted "two near-miss incidents of the most serious kind," concerning the potential for mass violent confrontation on the pitch and the risk of a crush as Celtic fans accessed unauthorized areas of the stadium. The incident was compared to the crowd invasion at Wembley during the Euro 2020 final.
Both clubs responded swiftly with statements, engaging in a war of words over the report's findings.
Celtic, while broadly accepting the report, questioned whether the pitch invasion by their supporters was a significant threat. Interim chairman Brian Wilson suggested that decisions made by Police Scotland regarding match control were a factor in the disorder. "We continue to believe that the non-violent incursion by a small number of Celtic supporters following the conclusion of the Scottish Cup quarter-final was not, in itself, a major or threatening incident," Wilson stated. He added that the club remained "puzzled as to why the actions recommended by the Safety Advisory Group of Glasgow City Council were overturned at a senior level within Police Scotland."
Rangers, in their statement, expressed reservations about the SFA's scrutiny within the report and indicated no desire to return to full away ticket allocations for Old Firm matches. "While we support some of the report's recommendations, we do not accept every finding or factual assertion it contains," the club said. Rangers also raised concerns about the decision to allocate approximately 8,000 tickets to Celtic, arguing it "materially changed the risk profile of the fixture." The club believes the independent review should have scrutinized the SFA's actions more rigorously and stated that a return to historic full away allocations was not a reflection of their position.
Rangers called on the SFA to review its ticket allocation rules and policies, and advocated for stronger national coordination, structured supporter involvement, and more effective legislative powers in managing safety and security across Scottish football. The club also welcomed the Scottish Government's consultation on strengthening Football Banning Orders.
SFA chief executive Ian Maxwell thanked the review lead for his comprehensive report and recommendations. "Whilst this is now a live matter for an independent Judicial Panel to consider, the Scottish FA wishes to reiterate that the scenes witnessed during the cup tie, and subsequently investigated by our Review Lead, should have no place in our game," Maxwell said. He pledged to work with stakeholders to prevent a recurrence of the events that he stated "tarnished the image and reputation of the game."