Police say 28 arrests were made, seven fines were issued and officers were attacked after crowds of fans gathered to celebrate Rangers winning the Scottish Premiership.

Large numbers of supporters made their way to Glasgow's George Square and Ibrox after Rangers won their first title in ten years after Celtic failed to beat Dundee United.

Nicola Sturgeon has condemned the “infuriating and disgraceful” celebrations in Glasgow as she urged Rangers to ask people to go home. She warned it could delay the end of the Covid lockdown.

After the Celtic game ended, crowds of fans took to the streets, breaking the coronavirus lockdown, with some letting off flares and other chanting and waving flags outside the club ground. Others flocked to George Square to celebrate being crowned Scottish champions.

Chief superintendent Mark Sutherland, divisional commander for Police Scotland's Greater Glasgow Division, said some of the arrests were for assaults on police officers,  that enforcement was carried out "where it was appropriate to do so" and that the priority was public safety.

The weekend results gave Rangers an unassailable 20-point lead and the title for their 55th Scottish football top tier title.

The Herald:

Under current guidance, public gatherings are banned and a maximum of two people from two households are allowed to meet outdoors.

Matches are taking place behind closed doors with no fans in the stadium.

Chief Supt Sutherland said that a pre-planned policing operation was instigated after Rangers were confirmed as league champions.

“Despite the coronavirus regulations and the prohibition of gatherings, our officers were faced with a very difficult set of circumstances as many thousands of supporters gathered to celebrate across a number of different venues," he said.

“Our priority was public safety and this included reducing the risk of disorder, road safety and effective crowd management among the complexities of a vociferous crowd. This included established crowd control measures to prevent serious disorder in multiple areas and protect the public.

“An appropriate policing response was in place throughout the day and officers continually engaged and encouraged compliance with coronavirus regulations.

“Over the course of the day a number of minor injuries were sustained by members of the public, some of which were as a result of intoxication.

“Where it was appropriate to do so officers moved to enforcement for a variety of offences including breaches of coronavirus regulations, acts of disorder, pyrotechnic use and a number of arrests for assaulting police officers and sectarian related breach of the peace.

“In total, 28 people were arrested and seven people were issued with fixed penalty notices or will be the subject of a report to the Procurator Fiscal.

“I am grateful to our officers who showed great commitment and professionalism throughout the course of the day, many of whom put their own health at risk during a challenging set of circumstances.”

The Herald:

In a tweet, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon congratulated Rangers on the title win, but added: "Gathering in crowds just now risks lives, and could delay exit from lockdown for everyone else."

"If those gathering care at all about the safety of others & the country, they will go home," she said.

In a later tweet she said: "I share folks' anger at this."

She added it was "infuriating and disgraceful" to see the crowds "risk our progress" after everyone complying with lockdown rules has made "so many sacrifices".

In Belfast, where the Ibrox club has a loyal following,  a large crowd gathered on the Shankill Road to celebrate the title win.

Earlier, the Police Service of Northern Ireland   tweeted urging fans to celebrate safely.

“We would encourage anyone intending to celebrate today’s Scottish Premier League to do so at home safely and within the current health regulations,” it tweeted.

Rangers supporter and DUP MP Gregory Campbell said: “No one is more delighted than myself to see this success for the Gers. It’s been a long road. But so has the battle against Covid. It would be a bad day for Northern Ireland Rangers fans if a hallmark of 55 league titles was to be fans in ICU beds rather than being able to cheer their team on to more success.”

Justice secretary Humza Yousaf condemned Rangers fans for their celebrations and warned supporters could face retrospective action from police.

Mr Yousaf also warned that amid uncertainty about whether Scotland will host Euro 2020 games, the scenes could have put that at risk.

Meanwhile, in Corby, Northamptonshire, Police are seeking the organiser of a gathering in a park attended by around 200 fans.

It’s believed local fans planned the meet-up on Facebook and travelled to the park by car.

Three people were fined by police as the main group scattered when officers arrived. But the organiser could face a £10,000 fine if traced. 

Corby has historic links to Scotland as many Scots travelled there to work in the steelworks, and has its own dedicated Rangers supporters club.