Sun Nov 29, 2015 9:02 pm
Questions asked of police after football violence in Glasgow
By STV
Sunday 29 November 2015
Celtic Park: Violence flared before Europa League match.
Police Scotland has questions to answer after a night of football-related violence in Glasgow's east end, a supporters' organisation has said.
The Affiliation of Registered Celtic Supporters Clubs spoke up after four men were taken to hospital and a number of pubs and bars were damaged ahead of the Celtic v Ajax match on Thursday.
Trouble flared in the city's Gallowgate after a number of fans of the Dutch side tried to storm bars being attended by Celtic supporters. Three pubs, The Emerald Isle, the Hoops Bar and Bar 67, were all damaged during the trouble at around 7pm before the Europa League match.
Police confirmed four men were seriously assaulted and were treated in hospital. One of the injured was Hoops Bar boss Neil O'Donnell, who was left with serious facial injuries.
In a statement on Saturday, a spokesman for the Affiliation said: "We find it very surprising that these Ajax hooligans were allowed a free reign to wreak havoc in Glasgow considering the constant surveillance and scrutiny that Police Scotland place Celtic fans under.
"It seems far easier to arrest fans for singing or having a banner in a car park than it does to arrest fans engaging in vandalism and sickening violence.
"Questions have to be asked of them."
Police confirmed on Friday morning that four men had been arrested in connection with minor public order offences before, during and after the match. One Ajax fan, who appeared in court on Friday, was given a 12-month banning order for assaulting a police officer before the game.
Anyone with information about the violence is asked to call police on 101.
Four Celtic supporters in hospital after clashes ahead of Ajax match