Residents blast football fans for 'anti-social behaviour' at Hampden

Football fans visiting Hampden have been criticised by local residents over anti-social behaviour.

Supporters watching Rangers vs Hibernian on Sunday in Mount Florida, Glasgow, were said to have urinated outside homes, smashed signs and bottles as well as littering and spitting at and insulting residents.

Sectarian chanting was also claimed and the area’s MSP James Dornan said he had his office sign torn down and urinated on, while cars were parked in defiance of regulations.

Outraged resident Claire Johnston said: “We came home from taking our dog to the park at around 3pm on Sunday and there were 11 men peeing across from our house and round the corner.

“From then on it was a constant stream of men urinating in the street.

“I would have intervened, but when I’ve said anything in the past I’ve received abuse.

“I did bang my window at a ‘fan’ who was going to pee in my garden, in response I got rudely gesticulated at.

“There was a lot of sectarian chanting too.

“Also Hampden is meant to clear up the rubbish, but it’s not thorough and there’s always broken glass, empty alcohol bottles, food and other debris.

“I feel angry, upset and impotent as there is nothing that I can do to stop it. It’s also very intimidating.

“Someone in the area even got spat on and threatened for challenging their behaviour.”

Chair of the Mount Florida Community Council, Judith Pollock, accused supporters of “behaving with utter disrespect and contempt”.

She said: “Residents of Mount Florida recognise that there will be some disruption to normal life when events are held at Hampden Park.

“However, this does not extend to the levels of anti-social behaviour seen this weekend with grown men behaving with utter disrespect and contempt to our community.

“I expect Police Scotland to have sufficient officers available at future games to ensure that the law is upheld and action is taken against those who break it.”

Another resident, who wished to remain anonymous, accused some fans of attempting to gain entry to blocks of flats and leaving “huge amounts” of rubbish.

The resident said: “We see a big amount of public urination often at closes doors and in people’s gardens.

“Sometimes football fans will even try to gain entry to the closes and people park in the streets despite there being permit requirements.

“We also have a huge amount of rubbish left lying around, empty bottles from groups gathering drinking.

“It’s not always just the football, gigs are as bad but this weekend was poor in general from lack of any parking enforcement or police patrol.”

Nats MSP James Dornan said: “My office sign was ripped down from the church fence and urinated on.

“Anti-social behaviour in the areas surrounding Hampden at big games is not a new thing.

“The police have an extremely difficult job at these events but if they can’t arrest people at the time, for public order reasons or whatever, then surely they could have people filming the crowds as they approach, or leave the area and then ask the public for help identifying them.

“This may feel like a low-level offence but I can assure you that for the people who have to live through it it is anything but.”

Inspector Crawford Inglis of Police Scotland said: “We are aware of local residents concerns about anti-social behaviour around Hampden Park on match days.

“No one should tolerate this and it is always taken seriously as we are acutely aware of the upset that this form of behaviour can have within a community.

“We have high visibility patrols operating in the area on match days and anyone with any concerns should contact Police Scotland on 101.”

A Glasgow City Council spokesperson said: “Parking attendants were working to enforce the Hampden Event Day Parking Zone for both matches at the stadium over the past weekend.

“Our staff issued a total of 230 parking tickets to vehicles breaching the rules of the parking zone and removed 13 vehicles causing particularly serious obstructions.”