An MSP for Glasgow Shettleston has heavily criticised the unofficial Celtic title party that saw supporters gather in the city centre's Trongate area after Saturday's Scottish Premiership match at Celtic Park.
Promoted by unofficial fan groups such as The Green Brigade ahead of the gathering, thousands of fans flocked to Glasgow Cross to celebrate Celtic's league championship victory – sealed at Rugby Park three days earlier, and capped off by a 3-2 home win earlier on Saturday afternoon.
As MSP John Mason mentioned in his address to the Scottish Parliament, it has since been alleged that four police officers were injured during the celebration, with a reported 19 people having been arrested.
"It is unacceptable that a major road junction in Glasgow is completely blocked," said Mason. "The Tron theatre had to cancel its performances that evening… I myself walked in the area at 6.30pm on Saturday. [There were] people urinating in the pens, the closes and residents [were] afraid to leave their homes."
Siobhian Brown, the Scottish Government's minister for victims and community safety, replied in agreement with Mason, saying that while the total cost of Saturday's activity was still unclear, the clean up process following a similar gathering last year is thought to have cost around £34,000.
Mason added: "Looking ahead to the future, would [Brown] agree that clubs need to take more responsibility for their fans, perhaps organising fan zones, and perhaps strict liability including partial stadium closures, points deductions and fines as happens in Europe should be considered.
"And can [Brown] give any reassurance that clubs will take responsibility this coming Saturday for their fans' behaviour."
Brown replied: "We will continue to work with the footballing authorities, Police Scotland and fan groups to address issues and ensure football matches are enjoyable experiences for everyone during the game and afterwards.
"We've never ruled out strict liability as an option for incidents at football within stadiums, however our preferred solution has always been that the footballing authorities themselves proactively shape and deliver a robust and meaningful solution to tackle any unacceptable conduct by what is a minority of supporters.
"I understand that Glasgow City Council has had discussions with football clubs to discuss organised celebrations, and I fully encourage such dialogue between football clubs and local authorities about conducting safe events for their fans which minimise the impact on the community."
