Old Firm disorder report raises pressure on authorities

The publication of an independent review into the Old Firm disorder at Ibrox has put Scottish football’s authorities under renewed pressure to respond more decisively to crowd trouble at major matches.

The 37-page report, produced after the Scottish Cup quarter-final between Rangers and Celtic in March, does not spare any of the main parties involved. Rangers and Celtic are both facing disciplinary charges, while the Scottish FA, the SPFL, police and groups of supporters from both clubs are all criticised in the review.

At the heart of the document is a clear warning that the ugly scenes at Ibrox were dangerously close to something far worse. The review says the disorder came within a very small margin of becoming a violent mass confrontation. That assessment gives the incident a significance that goes beyond one abandoned moment of unrest and places it in the wider debate about how Scottish football handles fan behaviour.

What the old firm disorder report says

The lead author, Mark Blackbourne, is a sports event consultant with experience of Uefa match delegation and stadium inspection. His conclusions are severe. The review argues that football authorities need to stop operating on the edges of punishment when dealing with bad behaviour. In Blackbourne’s view, fines imposed by governing bodies are not proving effective.

That point matters because the report describes a wider pattern rather than a single isolated episode. It says Scottish football is dealing with an upward trajectory of recorded unacceptable conduct by fan groups and individuals. In other words, the problem is not framed as a one-off flashpoint at Ibrox, but as part of a broader deterioration that already has a record behind it.

The review was published four months after the match, adding to the sense that the findings have arrived with weight and urgency. During that time, the Old Firm incident has remained a major reference point in discussions about crowd control, stadium safety and the responsibilities of clubs and football bodies.

Why the findings matter

The report is important because it challenges whether existing sanctions are enough to deter future disorder. If fines are not cutting it, as the review states, then the issue becomes what stronger measures should look like and which authority should take the lead.

That question is especially pressing in a fixture where tensions are already heightened and where the crowd environment can change rapidly. The review’s warning that the situation came close to a violent mass confrontation suggests the margin for error is extremely small. For football authorities, that raises concerns not only about punishment after the fact, but about prevention before matches take place.

The fact that both clubs now face disciplinary charges ensures that the case will continue to move through official channels. While the review does not set out a final outcome, it clearly shifts attention toward how the governing bodies respond and whether their current approach is sufficient.

What happens next

The immediate next step is the disciplinary process involving Rangers and Celtic. Beyond that, the report is likely to sharpen scrutiny on how the Scottish FA, the SPFL and police manage future Old Firm fixtures and other high-risk matches.

For supporters, clubs and administrators alike, the message from the review is direct: Scottish football cannot keep treating serious crowd disorder as a problem that can be managed with marginal sanctions alone. The authors believe a more forceful response is now required, and that view will shape the conversation around this incident for some time.