Frank McAvennie isn’t one for holding back, but his recent assessment of the Rangers vs Celtic fan disorder at Ibrox on the Let Me Be Frank podcast goes beyond simple supporter frustration.
McAvennie places the responsibility firmly at the door of Police Scotland’s leadership, after Celtic staff were attacked by Rangers supporters on the Ibrox pitch.
The former Hoops striker said the lack of decisive action from police and security was one of the reasons Celtic staff and players were targeted.
Frank McAvennie nails Rangers over Celtic staff attacks:
The Hoops legend was clearly in no mood to accept any excuses as McAvennie placed the blame firmly at Rangers’ door first of all.
McAvennie told the Let Me Be Frank podcast, “All this coming on and attacking people. I’m not having it. And unfortunately, Rangers have done it a few times and that’s three times the Celtic staff have been attacked.
“And no matter what, people trying to say it’s both sides, that’s three times Celtic staff has been attacked Simon, and it’s not right.”
Celtic hero slams Police Scotland for Ibrox scenes:
Next up was Police Scotland as McAvennie took aim at Chief Superintendent Emma Croft for her role in the Ibrox chaos.
The former Hoops man continued, “Well, listen. I’m laying the blame right at the door of this Emma, Chief Superintendent of the Police, giving all that, ‘Anyone with video…’. Do your job!
“There’s a lot of people on that pitch that didn’t know what was happening. The yellow jackets on and they were letting people run by them.
“One of the policewomen got kicked in the air. I’m thinking nobody went near that guy [who attacked the Celtic coach].
“If he’d have done that in the 80s, that guy would have been jumped on by three police. But kicking a female, it’s embarrassing. And he was just laughing.
“So listen, the police, don’t care what you do, you’ve got to get more money off the Scottish Government or whoever.
“But I knew that was going to be toxic yesterday. And if she didn’t know, then she shouldn’t be the head of the police. That’s for sure.”
You can watch McAvennie’s explosive rant here.
McAvennie reinforces 67 Hail Hail’s verdict where we asked three major questions about the Ibrox security for the visit of Celtic.
The complete lack of police presence and stewarding at full time must be scrutinised as the SFA and the police investigate the disgraceful Rangers scenes.
For Celtic, the issue is no longer just about the result on the pitch; it’s about the hostile environment McAvennie described.
If the authorities cannot guarantee the safety of those in the dugout, the questions being directed at the Chief Superintendent must move from private discussions to public accountability.
McAvennie is right: if the warning signs were there and the response faltered, the responsibility lies at the top.