NafisaHeart of Midlothian F.C. strongly criticised the disgraceful scenes which marred the title decider at Celtic Park — describing the disorder at full-time as an ‘embarrassment to Scottish football’.
Condemning the ‘menacing and threatening atmosphere inside the stadium’, Hearts also confirmed they had been in discussions with Police Scotland after claims that some of their players and staff were allegedly attacked.
With the match delicately balanced at 1-1 and just three minutes remaining, Derek McInnes’ side were on course to become champions for the first time in 66 years.
However, Celtic F.C. dramatically snatched the title from their rivals in stunning fashion thanks to a goal from Daizen Maeda, before Callum Osmand struck deep into stoppage-time to wrap up a 3-1 victory.
That triggered thousands of Celtic supporters to flood onto the pitch, with Hearts players being harassed and singled out before they had any chance to exit the field.
Lawrence Shankland was right in the middle of the incident and the Hearts captain eventually had to be escorted away by police after several Celtic supporters allegedly confronted him physically.
‘Heart of Midlothian utterly condemns the shameful scenes at Celtic Park this afternoon which have, once again, embarrassed Scottish football,’ read a club statement.
‘Reports of serious physical and verbal abuse towards our players and staff, both on the pitch and elsewhere, are deeply disturbing. We are investigating this fully and are in dialogue with Police Scotland.
‘We will make no further comment at this time other than to say that it is completely unacceptable that our players and staff were put in that situation.’
There was confusion surrounding whether the match had actually concluded after Osmand scored, given that around 30 seconds plus additional stoppage time remained.
The match was effectively halted early, despite there still being time left to play. However, Hearts players were quickly guided down the tunnel by police and security staff.
On the advice of Police Scotland, and with safety concerns in mind, the Hearts squad and staff then exited the stadium within 20 minutes of full-time while still wearing their match kits.
The team bus had to be given a police escort away from the stadium as Celtic fans had already begun assembling outside and were seen provoking the visiting supporters.
As such, none of the Hearts players or management were able to carry out media duties, with the bus receiving a loud reception from their own supporters once they returned to Edinburgh.
‘Given the menacing and threatening atmosphere inside the stadium, our entire staff had no alternative but to leave immediately, without undertaking post-match media duties,’ the Hearts statement continued.
‘To our media partners, we apologise, but the safety of our staff was our primary focus during these unacceptable scenes.
‘The pitch invasion caused a chaotic ending and nobody seemed certain whether the match had been brought to a conclusion.
‘Our players were then denied the opportunity to thank our magnificent fans – sensational to a person – for their backing this afternoon and all season long.
‘We expect the strongest action possible to be taken by the footballing authorities in the interests of protecting the safety of players and supporters, and the integrity of our game.
‘This season has seen Hearts capture the imagination of football fans, not only in Scotland, but the world over.
‘We pay tribute to Derek McInnes, his staff, the first team and the supporters, who have done the club proud this season. None of them deserved the disgraceful scenes that unfolded.’
Police Scotland, Celtic F.C., the SPFL and the SFA have all been approached for comment.
Meanwhile, thousands of Celtic supporters once again gathered in the Trongate area last night, with Police Scotland clashing with individuals who threw glass bottles and other objects.
An update from Police Scotland read: ‘We are responding to disorder in the Trongate area of Glasgow.
‘Officers went into the crowd to assist with a medical emergency and were faced with significant levels of hostility, with bottles and other missiles thrown at them.
‘Decisive action is now being taken to disperse those gathered. For safety reasons, all members of the public are being asked to leave the area.’
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