Graeme Souness condemns crowd trouble for spoiling ‘biggest derby in the world’

Former Rangers manager Graeme Souness blamed fans who cannot handle defeat or alcohol for undermining the “biggest derby in the world”.

Souness revealed he reacted with “sadness and anger in equal measure” as he watched on at Ibrox on Sunday as a post-match pitch invasion overshadowed Celtic’s Scottish Cup triumph.

Dozens of the 7,500 visiting fans spilled on to the Ibrox pitch to celebrate their team’s penalty shootout triumph before more than 100 Rangers fans charged from the other end to confront them.

Injuries to police, stewards and fans, including a 10-year-old child, followed amid missile-throwing and violent incidents, while a man was arrested following an alleged assault on a Celtic player and coach.

Souness said on talkSPORT: “It’s a small element of supporters that react to defeat in a negative way.

“As much as they try to control it, alcohol does play a part in it unfortunately. I was on my way to a stadium and, on both sides, people are topping themselves up and that would be before lunch.”

Souness had marvelled in the pre-match atmosphere after Scottish Cup rules ensured the away allocation returned to pre-2018 levels, but he fears that will be the last time.

“I have to say, what a difference having the Celtic supporters there, the whole Broomloan (Stand) was full,” the former Scotland captain said.

“It just added to the atmosphere. It is, in my opinion, the biggest derby in the world.

“Unfortunately I don’t think we’ll see that again. What happened on Sunday will mean we won’t see away supporters in the stadium again, not in those numbers anyway.

“It takes so much away from the game. Although it wasn’t a great game, both of them generated an unbelievable atmosphere.

“No matter what you think about Scottish football, Rangers and Celtic are monsters. They are not football clubs, they are institutions. And what makes them institutions is the passion that their supporters have for their clubs.

“And, as always, a small minority spoil it for everyone.

“I got my phone out before the game and filmed the scenes. It is the biggest, most passionate football match you will ever go to.

“But I think it will be a long time before we see that number of away supporters again.”

Two prominent Rangers fan groups have raised concerns over Police Scotland’s handling of the game, claiming it was “wholly inadequate” and “created unnecessary risks for our fans”.

The Rangers Fan Advisory Board and Rangers Supporters Association issued a joint statement claiming “little or no attempt” had been made to stop Celtic fans invading the pitch and criticised a “chronic lack of segregation” outside the ground.

The statement added: “Collectively, we call on Rangers to take robust, decisive, and public action in defence of our club.

“The handling of this fixture, from ticketing and allocation decisions to policing arrangements, fell far below an acceptable standard and breached an expected duty of care.”

The police officer in charge of the investigation into the trouble, Chief Superintendent Emma Croft, revealed on Monday she had launched a review of matchday operations but added that she felt officers had “responded as quickly and proportionately as they could”.