It was a bitter afternoon for Heart of Midlothian in Glasgow. Not only did the Hearts lose the long-awaited championship, but they also found themselves personally confronted by Celtic fans during the pitch invasion that followed. The Edinburgh club has now strongly condemned this in a statement.
It was the 98th minute when three Celtic Glasgow players marched alone across half the field toward the empty Hearts of Midlothian goal, as the home team had thrown everything forward in a last-ditch effort to win the championship. Ultimately, Callum Osman slotted home to make it 3-1 for Celtic, securing the Green and Whites’ 56th championship instead. After that, all hell broke loose. Although the game was not yet officially over, dozens of Celtic fans stormed the field in a frenzy of joy.
However, instead of celebrating only their own players, some fans also attacked the devastated visiting players, some of whom had to be escorted to the locker room by security. In light of the events, Hearts felt compelled to issue a statement that same evening: “Heart of Midlothian strongly condemns the shameful incidents at Celtic Park this afternoon, which have once again brought Scottish football into disrepute.”
“Reports of serious physical and verbal assaults on our players and staff, both on the pitch and elsewhere, are deeply disturbing.” The club will thoroughly investigate the matter and is in dialogue with the Scottish police.
An inglorious end to a bitter afternoon
The 90 minutes leading up to this were a showcase for the sport. After decades of dominance by the Glasgow clubs—Celtic and Rangers—Hearts, sitting atop the table, needed only a draw in the season finale against their closest pursuers, Glasgow, to secure the long-awaited championship title—their first since 1960. For a long time, things looked good for Derek McInnes’s team at 1-1, but in the 87th minute, a goal by Maeda turned the game in favor of the Green and Whites. The final blow came later on a counterattack, making for a bitter afternoon for the Hearts.
However, the pitch invasion after the final whistle created a “threatening and tense atmosphere” that forced the visiting players to leave the field immediately, according to the Edinburgh club. “Our players were denied the opportunity to thank our fantastic fans—every single one of whom was sensational—for their support this afternoon and throughout the season,” the Hearts complained, adding that they “expect the football associations to take the strictest possible measures in the interests of the safety of players and fans, as well as the integrity of our sport.”
