Like many other Rangers fans I was astonished to read the alleged claims in yesterday’s Daily Record that mob rule by Rangers fans prevented police from promptly responding to the violent pitch invasion at Saturday’s Scottish Cup Final. My astonishment to such claims stemmed from the previous statement from Police Scotland where Assistant Chief Constable Mark Williams stated:

"Public safety is our number one priority and the pitch incursion was unacceptable and jeopardised that. Our response was immediate, measured, proportionate and professional. In a short period of time, we deployed mounted officers, public order and conventional officers to separate the opposing supporters."

http://www.heraldscotland.com/Police_say_their_response_was_professional_/

I also knew that from my own personal experience of the match ending, watching the events after full time up to the point where police officers finally managed to form a line along the halfway line, and walking back to my car which was parked up near the Church on the Hill, that the claims being made were simply not true by any stretch of the imagination.

As David Gray’s header hit the back of the net to give Hibs a thoroughly deserved injury time winner many Rangers fans immediately headed for the exits. When the final whistle sounded many of these same fans were actually already outside the ground licking their wounds as they started the journey home with heavy hearts, oblivious to the mayhem that was about to unfold on the hallowed turf. It stands to reason that these supporters knowing nothing of what was happening inside couldn’t possibly be engaging in the mob rule behaviour alleged by the Daily Record.

I like everyone else who stayed onto the final whistle stood transfixed as screaming hordes of Hibs fans invaded the pitch, subsequently attacking the Rangers players and running unchallenged as far as the West stand goalmouth where they proceeded to provoke Rangers fans that were still in the ground. It took almost 10 minutes for the police to form their line on the halfway line and attain some measure of control of the situation, only then did the majority of Rangers fans remaining in the stadium start to file out of the ground.

On leaving the ground I proceeded to walk around behind the West stand and up Letherby Drive towards the junction of Cathcart Road and Carmunnock Road. It was only when nearing the top of Letherby Drive (which would have been about 15 minutes after full time) that I saw the first police van coming down through the supporters towards the stadium. To a man, woman and child, everyone stood aside to let them through. Yes, they received sarcastic applause and much pointing at watches in reference to turning up when the party was over. A lot of fans were also shouting verbal abuse which is understandable given the cowardly actions of their colleagues inside that we had all just witnessed. It should also be noted that upon getting through the bottleneck at the top of Letherby Drive we were then faced with around half a dozen fully manned police vans parked up doing nothing other than sitting there watching Rangers fans go by. Again they received a round of sarcastic applause and verbal abuse for their lack of urgency but nothing more.

From that point on all the way up to the Church on the Hill I must have passed about another half dozen police vans heading towards the stadium, their journeys unimpeded by the swarm of Rangers fans going the other way. It was plain for everyone to see that Police Scotland were calling additional resources in from all across Glasgow as they didn’t have adequate resources near by the stadium.

It has now been established that Jane Hamilton, the journalist who wrote the piece in yesterday’s Daily Record, is a Rangers-hating sectarian bigot. On further investigation it is no surprise that she is also Twitter friends with reknowned bigot Phil Mac Giolla hain who has been labelled as being ‘tarred with a sectarian brush’ by the mainstream British media.

Therefore, given Jane Hamilton’s sectarian credentials there is major doubt on the accuracy of her reporting on events. Her version is certainly at odds with every Rangers fan who has voiced an opinion on social media throughout the day.

On the other hand, should Jane Hamilton’s claims that she received information on these allegations directly from various sources within Police Scotland turn out to be true, it casts a major shadow over the integrity of the ongoing Police Scotland investigation. How can Police Scotland explain away the fact that findings are being leaked to the media before any outcome from the investigation is decided? One reponse to the barrage of complaints and FOI requests yesterday has Police Scotland standing by their initial statement, which would totally contradict Jane Hamilton.

https://twimg.com/CjZRcLPWYAADR6

One thing’s for sure though, regardless of where the allegations are coming from whether that be from a leak within Police Scotland or the fevered mind of a proven Rangers-hating sectarian bigot, they have absolutely no merit whatsoever and can easily be refuted.

The bottom line is that Police Scotland made a monumental cock-up of the handling of the Scottish Cup Final. They were grossly undermanned within the stadium, their initial response was extremely slow and lacking leadership, and they never had adequate additional resource waiting outside the stadium for emergency situations.