Celtic boss Martin O'Neill fears end to Old Firm away fans after violence

Celtic manager Martin O’Neill fears there will be no away allocations at future Old Firm matches following violence and vandalism at Sunday’s Scottish Cup clash.

Police say nine arrests were made as fans invaded the pitch following the final whistle at the quarter-final tie at Ibrox.

O’Neill, who could be seen taking selfies with fans on the pitch following the match, called the atmosphere “magical” but said that he thinks it “won’t happen again”.

He told Talksport: “I thought the noise emanating from Ibrox on Sunday, and the Sunday before, where we only had 2,500 people there, was not something I’ve heard in a long time, maybe Celtic playing Liverpool away back in 2003, have I heard a noise emanating from a stadium like that.

“So there’s something really magical about it, and I’m really obviously quite saddened by the events. It’s overall a shame because I think the things that I was hoping would happen, which hadn’t happened for a long time, may now not happen anymore, the full allocations at both Ibrox and Celtic Park maybe being taken away.”

Members of coaching staff and players were assaulted during the fracas, and a ten-year-old child was also struck by a coin as items, including pyrotechnics, were thrown by supporters.

Three men, aged 54, 23 and 20, were arrested and charged in connection with a serious assault of a man on Helen Street following the match.

The men are due to appear at Glasgow Sheriff Court at a later date.

A 54-year-old man was arrested and charged in connection with a police assault. He was released on an undertaking to appear at Glasgow Sheriff Court at a later date.

A 47-year-old man was arrested and charged in connection with an assault on a coach and player at the end of the match. He was also released to appear at a later date.

There were also other arrests in relation to a number of offences, including abuse towards officers and culpable and reckless conduct.

Vandalism and graffiti within the stadium are also being investigated after the Broomloan Stand at Ibrox was defaced.

Images shared from social media showed seats were ripped apart, bunting was left in parts of the stand, while graffiti mocking the Ibrox disaster was sprayed upon the walls.

“From my viewpoint, that I’m that there is obviously going to be a lot of to-ing and fro-ing here about what happened, the policing, that type of stuff”, O’Neill added. “It’s not for me to go into proper analysis about it, please, I’m not pushing it to the side at the end of it all.

“I would love if there was a serious consideration to be looking at these particular things, what happened, what could have been avoided, but I honestly think that in terms of atmosphere, there was nothing like it.

“It really was amazing, both Sundays, so to replicate that at Celtic Park with a full crowd of Rangers fans in, I still think something would be lost with the Old Firm fixture, if that.

“I’m sure people are going to look at it and say 7,000 people at Ibrox or Celtic Park just cannot be policed.

“I don’t know the answer, but I still think something would be seriously lost again if that atmosphere throughout the game is anything to go by.”

The Scottish Football Association confirmed on Sunday it has launched an investigation. Rangers and Celtic have both been contacted for comment, but have yet to respond.