Football celebration damage ‘unacceptable’ – council

Police in Glasgow say 19 people were arrested and four officers injured during celebrations after Celtic won the premiership.

An estimated 25,000 fans gathered in the city centre around Glasgow Cross and the Merchant City on Saturday,

Damage caused by fans has been branded “unacceptable” by Glasgow City Council.

Teams worked though the night to clear up a “substantial” amount of litter, debris and broken glass which was left in the area.

Fans gathered at Trongate following the match against St Mirren, where they could be seen climbing lamp posts and traffic lights and letting off colour flares.

Bus stops and traffic signals have been damaged in the area, which formed part of the route for Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life, which took place on Sunday morning.

Across the day, there were 19 arrests for various offences and Police Scotland said inquiries remain ongoing into a number of incidents.

Four police officers were injured during the disorder and received medical treatment.

Supt John Menzies said: “I would like to thank our partner agencies and the wider public for their support.

“Unfortunately, we experienced some disorder including the use of pyrotechnics and alcohol-related offences. We took robust action to prevent these escalating.

“Violence and assaults on members of the public or police officers is completely unacceptable and we continue to work to identify those responsible.”

Hospitals in Glasgow had extra staff working in accident and emergency rooms to cope with any surge in casualties.

Writing on the social media platform X, the leader of Glasgow City Council, Susan Aitken, said:

“It’s depressing & unacceptable that yet again a significant number of grown adults are unable to celebrate their team’s success while also respecting fellow citizens & public property”.

A Glasgow city council spokesman said after crowds dispersed in the early hours of Sunday morning, a “substantial” amount of litter, debris and broken glass was left in the area surrounding Glasgow Cross.

He said: “After an exceptional clean-up effort by our teams overnight, the area is now clear.

“There has been damage to infrastructure such as bus stops and traffic signals, but we do not yet know the full extent of what repairs will be necessary.

“This kind of damage, disruption and antisocial behaviour remains unacceptable. It should be possible to celebrate and show a basic level of consideration for others in the city at the same time.”

Fans began congregating around Glasgow Cross and the Trongate soon after the match on Saturday for the unofficial celebration.

Surrounding roads were closed and there was a large police presence in the area.

The trophy was presented to the team at Celtic Park after they beat St Mirren 3-2.

The league title had been decided before the game but the home match gives fans the chance to celebrate their win.

Celtic declined to comment on Saturday’s events in the city centre.

The club’s fans also gathered at Glasgow Cross to celebrate the Premiership trophy win last year.

Three people were seriously assaulted in last year’s celebrations with a 31-year-old man being taken to hospital in serious condition and 10 arrests were made.