Police Scotland have now identified 83 people they want to speak to following disorder in the Trongate area of Glasgow after Celtic’s title-clinching win over Hearts on 16 May.
As reported by BBC News, detectives have released CCTV images of a further 27 Celtic supporters as part of a third appeal connected to the disturbances that followed the Premiership title win. That brings the running total of suspects police wish to interview to 83, a figure that underlines just how seriously this investigation is being treated.
Two officers were seriously injured and three members of the public required hospital treatment after disorder broke out as around 3,000 supporters gathered in the Trongate. Officers responding to the situation came under attack from bottles and other missiles thrown from within the crowd, leading to officers in riot gear being deployed to clear the streets.
Police Scotland’s divisional commander for Greater Glasgow, Ch Supt Emma Croft, said:
Significant inquiries remain ongoing into this disorder which impacted communities, businesses, police officers and supporters.
She added that she would urge those in the images, or anyone who recognises them, to make contact. Information can be submitted through the Major Incident Public Portal, which allows the public to pass images and footage directly to the investigation team.
The backdrop here is one the club tried to head off before it happened. The day before the Hearts game, Celtic publicly urged supporters not to attend an unofficial title party – a message that clearly did not reach everyone who needed to hear it. Last year’s equivalent gathering resulted in 19 arrests, injuries to four officers, and a significant clean-up operation, so the pattern was already well established.
Let’s be honest about what this is. The overwhelming majority of those 3,000 supporters were there to celebrate a fifth successive title. But a minority has now handed Police Scotland cause for a major incident investigation and three separate CCTV appeals, providing further ammunition to those who want tighter restrictions on how and where supporters can celebrate. Significant inquiries remain ongoing.