First Minister Swinney Condemns Old Firm Violence, Says He Wouldn't Take Son to Game
Scotland's First Minister John Swinney has declared he would not take his teenage son to an Old Firm football match, following shocking scenes of disorder at Ibrox Stadium last weekend. The statement comes after fans from both Rangers and Celtic invaded the pitch at the conclusion of the Scottish Cup quarter-final, with stewards and police officers attacked in the ensuing chaos.
"Completely and Utterly Unacceptable" Behaviour
Speaking to the Press Association this week, Mr Swinney described the actions of the fans involved as "completely and utterly unacceptable". He emphasised the severe risks posed by such violence, stating, "The risk to other fans, to members of the stewarding staff, to police officers, to players, was just terrible." When directly asked if he would take his son Matthew to an Old Firm fixture, the First Minister gave a firm and unequivocal answer: "No."
However, Mr Swinney stopped short of advocating for future Old Firm games to be played behind closed doors, without any supporters in attendance. He expressed a preference to avoid such drastic measures but acknowledged the gravity of the situation. "I would rather that's not the case, but I think none of us can watch those scenes and think that there isn't something that's got to give as a consequence of what happened at the weekend," he remarked.
Calls for Engagement and Potential Banning Orders
The First Minister outlined his intention to engage with football clubs and authorities to prevent a recurrence. "I want to take time to engage... the clubs and the SFA, to identify what's the best course of action to take," he said. This incident is not isolated; clashes have flared in recent years during matches between the two Glasgow rivals, including at the 2024 League Cup final, where police used special powers following reports of missiles being thrown and pub windows being smashed.
Mr Swinney stressed that the solution requires a collaborative effort. "The way through this, I think, is it's got to involve, first of all, the people responsible being apprehended, and the police are pursuing that," he stated, welcoming the actions of Police Scotland. He added, "There's also got to be engagement between the clubs, the Scottish Football Association and the Government about what further steps can be taken to avoid a recurrence of this behaviour, because it is just quite simply intolerable that we have that now."
Review of Football Banning Orders on the Horizon
Looking ahead, the First Minister indicated that if re-elected in May, his government will scrutinise the use of football banning orders. "We've just concluded a consultation on football banning orders – we have football banning orders available already, we've got to review them periodically to see if they remain appropriate for the times," he explained. "We're analysing the outcome of that and there's been a big response to that and we need to do that carefully, then in the next Parliament, we'll have to look at these issues." A number of arrests have already been made in connection with the Ibrox disorder, as authorities work to address the ongoing problem of fan violence in Scottish football.
