No sectarian arrests at watershed Old Firm match

Strathclyde Police say no sectarian-related arrests were made at last night’s Old Firm encounter, the first since the Scottish Government new ant-bigotry law was passed.

No sectarian singing was reported at the match at Parkhead which saw Celtic run out 1 - 0 winners with only 12 arrests made for minor offences in and around the stadium.

Assistant Chief Constable Campbell Corrigan, event commander, praised the behaviour of both sets of fans.

He said: “There were no reports of sectarian singing recorded by police and I would like to thank both sets of fans for their continuing commitment to reducing this type of behaviour.

“Various police operations were ongoing prior to the kick-off, including spot checks on buses and coaches travelling to the game and the number of people found with alcohol on board was very low.

“Additionally, the level of drunkenness and disorder at licensed premises was significantly lower, which is testament to the licence holders in the pubs and clubs of Glasgow taking their responsibilities very seriously and we’d like to thank them for that.

“It was a great example of an Old Firm fixture at its best, with high drama and good sportsmanship.”

Earlier this month, new laws designed to crack down on religious sectarian hate crime were passed by the Scottish Parliament.

The SNP used its majority at Holyrood to pass the Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications Bill despite appeals from opposition parties for the legislation to be scrapped.

Two offences will be created by the legislation, targeting sectarian behaviour in and around football matches and on the internet.

Those convicted could spend as long as five years in prison and be banned from football grounds.