LAST WEEK I received the following unsolicited article and the author, David Redfern, wanted us to publish it in full and not “shirk your responsibilities to football”. The article is about the 1980 Scottish Cup Final riot, a match that I attended as a 15 year old.
Celtic won the match 1-0 thanks to a George McCluskey extra time winner and after some excited Celtic fans ran onto the pitch in joyous, celebration a much larger and more sinister group invaded the park from the other end and a riot followed. One that would result in the end of drinking alcohol at football games in Scotland and that ban stands to this day.
David Redfern was also at Hampden and at the Celtic end that May afternoon in 1980 but he wasn’t there to support Celtic, he as there as a serving Strathclyde Police Constable. Here’s what he has to say about that day at the Scottish Cup Final in 1980. The views expressed are his and you can take it at face value or with a pinch of salt but it’s certainly an interesting read regardless.
The former copper, referring to the articles we have published about this final was hardly complimentary about the coverage “it’s evident that you cannot see past your own bigoted version of events,” he said, perhaps revealing something about him and his own views.
We’re not sure which article on that game that he’s referring to but here’s a few possibilities…
The Riot after Celtic beat Rangers in the 1980 Scottish Cup Final…see HERE.
‘We chased them all over Hampden,’ the 1980 Scottish Cup Final Riot…see HERE.
Memories of the 1980 Scottish Cup Final and the Riot that followed…see HERE.
The 1980 Scottish Cup Final Riot, among the first onto the pitch…see HERE.
We parked at Mount Florida! The last word on the 1980 Scottish Cup Final…see HERE.
If anyone who was at the 1980 Scottish Cup Final wants to respond please email edtior@thecelticstar.co.uk
THE HAMPDEN RIOT – SCOTTISH CUP FINAL 1980
I was at the Hampden riot in 1980 as a serving Strathclyde Police Constable.
Doubtless you have many accounts from Pigs like me, but I’ll give you my version of events. I am not a football fan so offer this as a nonpartisan, observational, personal recollection of events.
A game played between two teams of athletes, one won, the other lost; but as usual the match was dominated by, not ‘The beautiful game’ but by sectarian chanting and songs from both sets of fans.
Tensions were high at the end of the match because the game was close, so when the deciding goal was scored, the Celtic fans were understandably ecstatic. I was stationed at the Celtic end and watched a mass of fans go utterly berserk, whilst Rangers fans largely left the stands. My observations were confirmed by colleagues at the Rangers end.
A rag tag bunch of idiotic Rangers fans spilled over the retaining fences at the other end and caused trouble, that is entirely correct as far as I could see, but the reaction from the victorious Celtic fans was entirely out of proportion.
It seemed to me the entire Celtic end managed to empty themselves from the stands onto the pitch, although I know that’s not the case as most genuine football fans left rather quickly, however, the onrush was truly terrifying.
You might also note a number of things from the Coppers perspective. None of us had protective equipment – we were all wearing cloth caps and tunics, body armour wasn’t even considered in those days. We could barely distinguish each other from the crowd as there was no such thing as fluorescent clothing then. Equally, the heroic Ambulance crews were similarly isolated.
You might also note from the video, lots of us wandering around with no apparent direction. Principally because there were so many senior officers with scrambled egg on their hats fighting with individual football fans instead of directing their officers to specific tasks.
Personally, I took the initiative to ensure the most vulnerable people in the stadium were helped first, the wheelchair bound ,who were allowed pitchside, with the fence between themselves and many rabid idiots.
As I rallied help from the few cops and Ambulance crew who weren’t fighting or wandering around aimlessly, I was the victim of two vile attempts to maim me; as I approached the wheelchair bound fans adults on the stands were instructing their children to poke their bamboo cane flags through the fence into my eyes. I got wise to that one very quickly. But these were not boozed up fans, nor were their parents, these were deliberate and malicious attempts to injure the very people who were prepared to help anyone. We were evacuating invalids for Pete’s sake!
Then a fan decided that although he/she couldn’t actually aim a bottle directly at us thanks to our close proximity to the retaining fence, whilst dodging bamboo canes – throwing bottles directly at the fence might upset us, which it did. It may have been only one bottle thrown (although I was told there were many) which shattered against the fence and, in my case, showered my face and eyes with shards of glass.
I retreated from the fenceline, and the wheelchair bound, with my hands covering my face and my fingers holding my eyes open, lest I blink and blind myself.
I was attended to, on the pitch, by colleagues and the incredibly brave, and largely unpaid Ambulance staff, who washed my eyes with water before moving on, rapidly, to their next patient, whilst simultaneously dodging missiles and rabid Celtic fans. Why the hell were Ambulance staff targeted, or were they just ‘collateral damage’?
I eventually found myself in the middle of the pitch, with blurred eyesight, along with the police horses and their riders, and a number of colleagues, being pelted from the stands by missiles.
I’ll also highlight to all those involved in the missile throwing that, we sheltered behind the horses and their riders, neither of whom had any armour, and many of whom took direct hits, but didn’t flinch. You did your worst, but the Thin Blue Line prevailed and shrugged you off!
I’ll also ask those who were, and perhaps may still be, critical of the Police to note that, to my knowledge, not one officer drew his Truncheon other than those on horses with prominent white Truncheons designed deterrents, nor do I recall those being swung.
It upsets me when that Strathclyde Police, which I left many years ago, are vilified for events that unfolded that day. They were entirely beyond our control. An entire division of the area cannot possibly be deployed to police a single football match. Indeed I was, like many others, drafted in from outlying Divisions, mine Strathkelvin – Kirkintilloch for goodness sake!
My own criticisms of the force are confined to on pitch management, with more chiefs than Indians – some scrambled egg-heads invoking their privilege of rank to get in to watch a match without paying at the turnstiles. Just watch the video and count the number of sergeants and senior officers there, doing nothing other than perhaps having a punch up!
Even today, football has a long way to go to find acceptance amongst the general public. I regularly attend Rugby matches with not a Copper in sight to maintain control of fans. Discipline on pitch is, of course, another matter entirely however, that is confined to the pitch and 30 men, not 30,000 observers.
Unofficial fan sites are a route to resolving these issues however, from the report filed on your site, it’s evident that you cannot see past your own bigoted version of events.
I also recall the 1971 Ibrox disaster unfolding when I was 13 years old, still fresh in my memory now, and, whilst there was no violence involved, I wonder how, so soon after that event, Glasgow football fans could contemplate risking another death on the celebration of sporting excellence.
I trust you will publish this in full and not shirk your responsibilities to football.
David Redfern
