Celtic fans held after defeat in Australia

NINE male and two female Celtic fans were arrested in Sydney yesterday for attempting to invade the pitch during the Glasgow side's fixture with the Central Coast Mariners.

New South Wales Police confirmed that 11 Celtic fans among the 19,482 crowd were arrested after jumping the fence and trying to run on to the pitch during the match at ANZ Stadium, where The Mariners beat Celtic, 1-0.

One male Celtic supporter was charged with assaulting police, while another man was charged with assault. The match was the opening game of the club's three-match pre-season tour of Australia.

Acting Superintendent Mick Rochester, commander of the group of officers policing the Celtic match, said those arrested would face fines in the region of 370 and could be banned from the stadium for life.

"The message is a simple one – antisocial and criminal behaviour will not be tolerated under any circumstances," he said.

"If you can't or won't heed the message, don't attend these events. A sporting event is not an excuse to break the law.

"If your team isn't performing well, or you disagree with a decision by the referee, you can't react by getting intoxicated, damaging property, assaulting others or making an idiot of yourself.

"Be warned. Police and event security staff will continue to act swiftly at sporting and other events to ensure any opportunities to disrupt the enjoyment of others are minimised."

In addition, 27 people were ejected for being intoxicated, while 47 people were refused entry to the stadium because of drunkenness.

Five people were issued with infringement notices for failing to leave when asked, with one of those subsequently arrested.

"New South Wales Police are very disappointed with the way that a minority of Celtic fans behaved tonight," a spokeswoman said. "Fans who assaulted police and other fans will be prosecuted through the courts."