A young Celtic supporter has been fined for letting off a smoke bomb at Celtic Park during a Glasgow Derby last year.
The fan was spotted on CCTV, wearing an Irish tricolour balaclava and holding aloft a smoke bomb after the Bhoys went 1-0 up. When the smoke had finished pouring out of the pyrotechnic device, he disappeared under a flag but was spotted by cameras when he resurfaced elsewhere in the ground without his face covering.
The game referenced was Celtic’s 2-1 victory over the Rangers on 11 May 2024 – a match which effectively won Celtic the League title.
Despite such actions being common place at other events such as concerts, authorities pursued the young man who was invited to attend his local police station and later pleaded guilty to culpable and reckless conduct.
Paul Kavanagh, defending, told Glasgow Sheriff Court that his client was a first time offender involved in a one off incident.
Kavanagh said: “This was in an area completely unknown to him. He didn’t attend the stadium with the implement – it was given to him. He took the balaclava off his face in full view of the camera – he was not a professional at it.”
Scotland’s attitude to pyrotechnics at football, ultras culture and vociferous support is still as it always was – something the authorities don’t take kindly to. Therefore, it was no surprise when, today, Sheriff Collette Gallagher fined the young Celtic supporter £416 for the incident. Fortunately, he was not hit with a football banning order.
