Ibrox clash between Celtic and Rangers fans narrowly avoided ‘crushing’ and ‘life-threatening violence’

The SFA also came under criticism from sports event consultant Mark Blackbourne.

Police and stewards were injured after Celtic won a quarter-final shoot-out on March 8. Visiting fans spilled on to the pitch to celebrate and Rangers supporters charged towards them, with fireworks thrown back and forth. At least 37 people were arrested.

One steward is still receiving treatment for an inner ear injury after being struck by a masked Rangers fan but the report stated it was a “minor miracle” no-one suffered more serious injury.

Blackbourne detailed two “near-misses”.

Firstly, when Green Brigade ultras “overwhelmed” police and stewards outside in an “already overcrowding area” and “created real and foreseeable crushing risk”. Fans rushed turnstiles and forced exit gates open and a steward was arrested on suspicion of taking payment to help them gain entry.

The second came when “masked home fans armed with poles and reinforced gloves came within a very small margin of a violent mass confrontation”.

The report added: “The four minutes 28 seconds for the police to re-establish control was a period in which life-threatening violence was possible.” A number of planning failures were identified, partly influenced by a 10-day delay to finalise the 8,042 away allocation, the highest since 2017, and a further five-day delay to agree ticket prices.

Planning for the March 1 league fixture between the two teams at Ibrox shifted focus from the cup tie, which was wrongly deemed the same level of risk.

Only one multi-agency meeting took place, compared to a Sunderland-Newcastle fixture where six were held.

A “significant dispute” arose between the clubs regarding the entry plan, which was described by the police lead as “aspirational”, and Celtic expressed concerns. Five search lanes were deployed, compared to seven at Celtic Park in May for 2,500 Rangers fans.

Police Scotland had no plan for ticketless fans gaining entry and were criticised for stationing 111 officers inside Ibrox for both fixtures. Their ability to react was “significantly constrained”.

The report noted sectarian chanting; pyrotechnics; coins and vapes thrown at players and match officials; a Rangers player reported racial abuse; while actions of the Rangers mascot and stadium DJ were viewed as “provocation” to Celtic fans.

A 10-year-old Celtic fan was struck in the face by a coin and left the stadium at half-time after “inadequate management” of his treatment.

The review noted that the Green Brigade and Union Bears had the “most direct and unimpeded access to the pitch” and trackside cordons were inadequate.

The Scottish football authorities were criticised for failing to reverse the “trend” in unacceptable conduct.

“The sanctions are too modest, too deferred and too inconsistently applied,” the report claimed.

The report makes more than 30 recommendations, including that the SFA and SPFL align sanctioning regimes.

The SFA has been advised to review the Scottish Cup rule that allows away clubs to request up to 20 per cent of tickets.

Other advice is that clubs adopt netting and a permanent police/steward trackside presence in front of away fans, that clubs sanction ultra groups, and that clubs are held more accountable for supporters’ misbehaviour.

Celtic and Rangers face hearings on August 13 accused of breaching SFA’s rule 37, which covers “policies and procedures” and whether clubs take appropriate measures to identify and deal with supporters who engage in unacceptable conduct.