The Sunday Splash: City Centre Residents Call for Fan Zone to Prevent Disorder at Celtic Title Celebrations
Community call for festivities to be moved away from Trongate amid antisocial behaviour fears
By Gary Fanning
City centre residents are calling on Celtic Football Club to host any potential title celebrations at Celtic Park or an official fan zone to prevent a repeat of the disorder seen during previous trophy wins.
Community groups have proposed that designated celebration areas be set up at Glasgow Green or at the front of the club’s stadium to deter large crowds from gathering in Trongate, where past celebrations have led to significant disruption and anti-social behaviour.
Previous Disorder
In May 2024, around 25,000 fans gathered in Trongate following Celtic's title win, resulting in 19 injuries, including four police officers, and extensive damage to local infrastructure.
Bus stops and traffic lights were vandalised, while debris and broken glass littered the streets. Glasgow City Council described the damage as “unacceptable”, with clean-up crews working overnight to restore the area.
The year before, similar scenes unfolded at Glasgow Cross, where three people were seriously assaulted and 10 arrests were made.
The upcoming Old Firm match on March 16 will be the first in three years to allow visiting fans at Celtic Park.
In December when Celtic beat Rangers in the League Cup at Hampden Park, violent clashes between the Green Brigade and Union Bears on Argyle Street resulted in one man being seriously injured and a police officer hurt.
Police invoked a 'Section 60' order, granting powers to stop and search supporters as missiles and fireworks were thrown.
In 20021, thousands of Rangers supporters have marched on Glasgow city centre to celebrate their club's Scottish Premiership title win. Police said that there had been some arrests.
The police federation, which represents rank-and-file officers, has since backed calls for designated fan zones to minimise disruption.
A spokesperson for Police Scotland said: “We work closely with a range of partners to address concerns and ensure appropriate policing plans are in place to maintain public safety and minimise disruption to the wider community.”
Community Proposals
Merchant City and Trongate Community Council have been in discussions with MSP Kaukab Stewart about finding alternative venues.
Football fan and community council chairman Tam Coyle suggested that Celtic host celebrations at Celtic Park, saying: “There needs to be alternatives offered. They could go to Parkhead or Glasgow Green. Everything should be on the table.”
One community council added: “I think Tam’s proposal is a good one. Celtic Park, there is plenty of area down there.
“They could put up tents. They can charge if they want or not. But to dilute it before it hits our patch seems to me a relatively easy problem to solve.”
A representative from Kaukab Stewart’s office told last week’s Merchant City and Trongate Community Council meeting that many residents and businesses had lodged complaints about last year’s celebrations.
He added: “There have been problems at Trongate for the past two years. Kaukab doesn’t want to see a repeat of what happened last year. She wants a solution to this.
“Kaukab is keen to engage with young people to understand why they gather in the city centre and what alternatives they would consider.”
Club Response
Neither Celtic FC nor Rangers FC provided a comment when approached.
Glasgow City Council said it would support any efforts by clubs to organise safe and sustainable celebrations.
A council spokesperson added: “The council has always been clear that it would support any efforts made by clubs to organise or host sustainable and safe celebrations for supporters.”
Next Steps
A meeting is scheduled at Hampden Park on Friday, March 13, where representatives from both clubs, Police Scotland, and community groups will discuss possible solutions.
Residents hope that by offering designated celebration sites, future title wins can be marked safely without the disruption seen in previous years.