More police should be ready to deal with pitch invasions says Rangers v Hibs cup final disorder report from SFA

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Sheriff Bowen's report for Scottish football's governing body which has come after having spent the last two months investigating the causes of the violence and pitch invasion at the May final between Hibs and Rangers also says new laws should be brought in to make pitch invasion a criminal offence. 

He also suggests that discussions should take place with ministers "as to whether it should be made a specific statutory offence to go onto the pitch without lawful authority at a designated football stadium".

Sheriff Bowen says the reserve of police officers would be available to deploy across the centre of the pitch once an invasion took place at the match.

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The 51-page report says there should be a review of the practice which instructs players and officials to make their way to the centre circle in the event of an emergency.

He says in the case of a pitch invasion, it would be more appropriate for players and officials to leave the pitch as quickly as possible.

He recommended that a moat that surrounds Hampden should be made "less easy to stand on" believing that might help stop people invading the pitch.

Consideration should be given to the installation of a retractable tunnel to make the entry and exit of players and officials onto the field of play more secure.

And he called for more specific warnings to be given to football supporters to the effect that it is unacceptable to encroach onto the pitch.

Hibs triumphed 3-2 to win the trophy for the first time in 114 years, but the post-match trouble also captured the headlines and as recently as three days ago fans were being arrested over what happened.

Police have said 58 people had so far been arrested and one has been jailed following after-match events.

In his report, the sheriff said the pitch invasion was caused by "an exceptionally high degree of excitement" sparked by Hibs' last-minute winning goal, and that the "vast majority" of fans who ran onto the field did so "in a spirit of jubilation".

Probably no more than 200, behaved in a manner which went well beyond a manifestation of high spirits, he said.

This led to "direct physical confrontation with Rangers players" and "the hurling of obscene language and sectarian abuse".

He said that while "the overwhelming majority" of Rangers fans "behaved properly" and left the stadium at full-time, a small number had "allowed themselves to be taunted by the Hibs fans to the point of invading the pitch for the purpose of physical confrontation".

Rangers claimed there were "a number of factual inaccuracies and contradictions" in the report and have called for an urgent meeting with the author of the report, the Scottish FA’s chief executive Stewart Regan and his compliance officer, Tony McGlennan to discuss their concerns.

Hibs have so far made no comment.

Sheriff Bowen in a report published on the eve of the start of the new Scottish Premiership season admitted he was not qualified to comment on the adequacy of the overall police numbers and the nature of their deployment.

But he goes on to say that "with the benefit of hindsight" there should have been a reserve of police officers able to deploy across the centre of the pitch once an invasion took place in the May final.

He suggests a police reserve similar to one prepared for the Scottish League Cup semi final between Rangers and Celtic on February 1, 2015 at Hampden, when police had specific intelligence that certain fans intended to invade the pitch in the event of a particular result. The Hoops won 2-0, and the police reserve was not required, although a total 37 people were arrested in connection with the Old Firm clash.

The report said: "Police Scotland should be invited to consider, at every match where the conclusion is likely to lead to uncontrollable celebrations, the provision of a reserve of officers who are in a position to deploy across the pitch immediately on the final whistle if there is any indication of an incursion by fans."

Sheriff Bowen pointed out that the May's Scottish Cup Final fell into the same Police Scotland 'highest risk category' as the Old Firm semi final.

He also said: "Other than by physical barriers, the pitch invasion could only have been prevented by the deployment of police officers within the stadium in very large numbers. It is not possible to say what that level of deployment would have been, but such internal deployment would have been wholly disproportionate to the overall risk."

The sheriff said making pitch invasion a statutory offence "might serve to send home the message that proceeding onto the field of play is likely to result in automatic sanction under the criminal law".

He said he "acknowledged that this is a matter which requires full debate."

In England it is a specific statutory offence to enter the field of play at a designated football match without lawful excuse: Football (Offences) Act 1991 Section 4.

Scotland has no equivalent statutory provision and it is argued by some observers that a specific charge would be easier to prove and prosecute.

Historically police have prosecuted those involved in pitch invasions using the common law offence of breach of the peace or of conduct calculated to provoke a breach of the peace.  On the question of policing, Sheriff Bowen appeared contradictory.

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SFA chief executive Stewart Regan said its board would "consider the report in greater detail", and was "committed to ensuring that there is no repeat of the scenes that detracted from this showpiece occasion".