Rangers supporters are discovering that the consequences of last March’s Old Firm trouble at Ibrox are far heavier than many expected. The latest development came in court, where Jordan Hadden, 28, was jailed for 16 months and banned from matches for eight years after encouraging a mass pitch invasion. Prosecutors said he waved fellow fans onto the field following Rangers’ penalty shootout defeat to Celtic, then picked up a bottle and threw it towards the visiting supporters, narrowly missing a police officer.
His defence argued that he got caught up in the atmosphere and has attended thousands of Rangers matches. The authorities were not impressed. The prosecution warned that anyone who contributes to football-related disorder can expect to be held to account by the Crown Office, Police Scotland and the courts. That is a clear message to every supporter who might treat a pitch invasion as a bit of harmless celebration or frustration.
The punishment has not stopped with individuals. Police Scotland arrested 43 people after officers were hurt and missiles and pyrotechnics were thrown, and both Rangers and Celtic have now lost their appeals against a Scottish FA sanction that forces their next home Scottish Cup games to be played behind closed doors. For supporters who had nothing to do with the disorder, that means missing a home match because of what a minority did. Celtic have called the penalty excessive and disproportionate, and it is easy to imagine plenty of Rangers fans feeling the same way.
The lesson for the Ibrox crowd is an uncomfortable one. A moment of anger at the final whistle can now mean prison, a lengthy ban, and a punishment for the whole club. The vast majority of Rangers supporters want to see the team win, not see the stadium emptied. If that is going to happen, the club and the fanbase need to make sure the next big night is remembered for the football, not the fallout.
