Police Criticise Celtic Over Parkhead Title Party Plans at Celtic Stadium
Police criticised Celtic on Friday for failing to put plans in place for an official title party if the club retained the Scottish Premiership at celtic stadium on Saturday. Celtic needed to beat Hearts at Parkhead to secure the title for a fifth straight year, and the police warning came with safety planning already under way across Glasgow.
Parkhead Decider and Police Plan
Assistant Chief Constable Alan Waddell said police wanted an organised event or fanzone so supporters could celebrate safely and reduce disruption to local communities. He said the force had a comprehensive plan focused on minimising disruption to local communities and avoiding widespread disorder.
The match kicked off at 12:30 and carried more than ordinary title pressure. Celtic urged supporters to avoid mass gatherings that have a high impact on the city, while Hearts were preparing for their own possible celebrations with an open-top bus parade through Edinburgh on Sunday if they secured the point needed to win their first title since 1960.
Glasgow Street Risk
Precautionary measures were already visible on Friday, including the removal of glass from bus stop shelters. Police had also supported Glasgow City Council in discussions with Celtic and Rangers during the closest title race in years, a run-in sharpened by Celtic's 99th-minute VAR penalty against Motherwell on Wednesday that set up the final day showdown.
That build-up sits against recent history in Glasgow. Celtic celebrations in 2024 led to 19 arrests and left four officers injured, while last year’s title festivities brought mass street drinking, pyrotechnics and 20 arrests. Celtic fans traditionally gather in the Trongate and Merchant City areas when titles are won, and Rangers fans assembled in huge numbers in George Square when Rangers last won the title in 2021.
John Beaton and Friday Charges
The pressure around the match was not limited to crowd control. On Friday, the Scottish Football Association said referee John Beaton and his family spent the previous night at home under police surveillance after a leak of personal details online, and Police Scotland said a 19-year-old man had been arrested and charged in connection with a data protection offence after a complaint that personal information relating to a Scottish football official had been shared online.
For Celtic, the immediate task was simple: beat Hearts and the title is theirs again. For police, the issue was less about the final whistle than what happens around it, and Waddell's demand for an organised celebration left the club under pressure to shape the scene outside Parkhead rather than let it develop on the streets.
