A senior police officer has rounded on those talking up the potential for trouble at tomorrow night's Scotland v Ireland European Championship qualifier.
Brian Docherty, a former St Mirren striker and president of the Scottish Police Federation, said it was disappointing that Irish football officials, among others, had suggested rival fans could clash in Glasgow.
The veteran officer was speaking after John Delaney, chief executive of the Football Association of Ireland (FAI), attacked his Scottish counterparts for providing too few tickets to Irish fans for the Euro 2016 qualifier, meaning rival supporters could end up in the same stands.
Former Ireland manager Johnny Giles said of the Scottish Football Association: "If there is trouble on the night, they will be to blame and they'll have to pay the price for that."
Several other commentators have added to the tension ahead of the match, with former Scotland legend Gordon McQueen urging the Tartan Army to boo Aiden McGeady and James McCarthy, Scottish-born players likely to play for the Republic on Friday.
Respect MP George Galloway responded by urging fans of Celtic to back Ireland over Scotland. The former Glasgow Labour MP tweeted: "Celtic fans welcome to support the country which colonised the land of their fathers then 'welcomed' us as immigrants like a case of Ebola."
Opinion: why McQueen and Galloway are wrong on the Scots-Irish issue
Mr Docherty said: "Police in Scotland and Glasgow in particular have been dealing with football matches for decades. This one will be no different. It is, however, disappointing when those who should know better engage in what has become the recent and particularly ugly phenomenon of talking up the potential for disorder and violence.
"Of course, police officers will respond to a deal with disorder and violence should it occur, but our nations share a common affection for each other and Scots and Irish fans are amongst the friendliest in the sporting world."
Scotland will play a friendly international against England next week, the first meeting between the two nations since September's independence referendum and the first on Scottish soil for 15 years.
Mr Docherty this year also criticised politicians for raising the spectre of violence related to the referendum, including allegations of rising anti-English racism that were not substantiated by either official figures or anecdotal evidence within the police.
Mr Docherty said: "Any neutral observer could be led to believe Scotland is on the verge of societal disintegration, yet nothing could be further from the truth."
Mr Docherty's criticism of Mr Delaney was echoed by Irish fans' group You Boys in Green (YBIG).
Describing Mr Delaney's view as "deeply unhelpful", the group said Scottish and Irish fans had well-known international reputations for good behaviour and have blamed their own federation for the ticketing problems.
A statement by YBIG added: "YBIG have clearly proved that the FAI system to allocate tickets spectacularly failed, irrespective of the size of the allocation."
Meanwhile, Police Scotland has warned both sets of supporters over alcohol and disorder on the way to and at tomorrow's game.
The force also highlighted the fact that the laws around drinking in public places and carrying alcohol on supporters' buses are different in Scotland than in Ireland and England.
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