RONNY Deila last night appealed again to Celtic supporters to stop setting off fireworks at the Parkhead club’s matches - and warned them one of his players could be seriously injured as a result of their actions.
Some Celtic fans lit flares and smoke canisters both before and during their side’s comfortable 3-0 victory over Stranraer in the fourth round of the William Hill Scottish Cup at Stair Park yesterday afternoon.
A firecracker was also thrown into the opposition penalty box by the away support shortly after the match had kicked off – just as the Scottish champions were launching an attack on their opponents’ goal.
Celtic have been punished by UEFA for the behaviour of their supporters at Europa League and Champions League matches on no fewer than eight occasions – including four times for setting off fireworks - in the last five years.
They are currently waiting to learn if they will be disciplined by European football’s governing body for setting off a flare in their Europa League group match against Fenerbahce in Istanbul last month.
Deila, who has previously urged fans not to do anything to damage the image of the Glasgow, was concerned to learn that a missile had been thrown onto the pitch during the course of the match against the League One club.
“We don’t want this,” he said. “It’s something that is making a bad reputation for the club. So this is absolutely something we need to get stopped. It is not positive for anybody and we, as a club, don’t want to have anything to do with this.
“I didn’t see that (the firework being hurled onto the pitch as the game was being played). It’s not my job, but I’m a part of this club. We’ve talked about it a lot and we have to get it away from this club.
“I’m not from here so I don’t know what kind of sanctions we could face. But what I can say is that it’s important we follow the rules – and that people are safe when they come to football matches.
“That is why we have football as a cultural thing that everybody can be part of. Safety has to be the most important thing in every game we play, including that of players. It’s the whole arrangement.
“So of course it’s everybody who has to be safe. Everybody realises it’s something we have to get stopped and we’ll do everything we can to stop it.”
Meanwhile, Deila declined to confirm that Celtic ae set to make Ivan Mocinic, the Croatia and HNK Rijeka midfielder, their first signing of the January transfer window this week.
“There are a lot of names out there now,” he said. “Maybe some of the names you have are on my list - but I can assure that there are lot of names you have that I’ve never heard of, as well!
“It’s way too early to talk about names. But I can assure everybody that we’re working as hard as we can and, come the end of the window, we’ll see where we are.”
Celtic’s victory means they could play their city rivals Rangers, who they took on in the League Cup semi-final last season, in the last 16 of the Scottish Cup. Asked who he would like to get in the fifth round, Deila said: “It’s hard to say. Whatever I say is going to be wrong, so I’ll pass on that.”
Leigh Griffiths, who scored two goals in the 3-0 victory, could face retrospective punishment from the SFA after appearing to shove the face of Scott Rumsby of Stranraer in a tussle at the side of the pitch in the second half.
He was spoken to by referee Andrew Dallas after the incident, but received no caution.
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