Police plan for Old Firm crunch clash where Celtic could seal title against Rangers

POLICE planning for the Old Firm game next Sunday took on added urgency yesterday.

Hibs beat Celtic in Edinburgh meaning the Glasgow club could clinch the league if they beat their old rivals.

Should rivals Rangers and Aberdeen win their next matches, Brendan Rodgers would have the opportunity to seal the Scottish Premiership trophy at Parkhead.

The game, kicking off at noon, will be a 60,000 sell-out.

A spokesman for Police Scotland said yesterday: “We are aware of the game and it will be policed appropriately.”

The last time a league title rested on an Old Firm result was May 2, 1999, a match branded the “Shame Game”.

Rangers lifted the trophy at the ground of their rivals for the first time in more than a century.

However, it was not before referee Hugh Dallas had been struck by a coin, dropping to the pitch with blood pouring from a head wound.

Four incensed fans also tried to reach him by invading the pitch and three players were sent off. Police recorded 360 incidents before, during and after the tie, which Rangers won 3-0. A total of 113 arrests were made and more than 300 fans clashed later in Duke Street. One man was stabbed in Shettleston Road.

Brendan Rodgers’ team could clinch the title before next Sunday should Rangers fail to beat Hearts today and Aberdeen lose to the Jambos on Friday.

It would give them the chance of a historic consecutive treble if they win the Scottish Cup next month.

A former Police Federation chair has gone on record to say a “supercharged” title-deciding fixture should be avoided.

Les Gray said: “Police are concerned with public safety and that will always be paramount.

“The last few games have been brilliant to watch, great spectacles, and people have behaved themselves, so why do we want to endanger that?

“However, let’s not kid ourselves.

“We all know that these games are supercharged and to make it the deciding game, whether it was 1999 or 1949, the circumstances haven’t changed and the police will always have the last say and for good reason.”

And he added: “We have come a long way since the infamous 1999 match but that the threat of disorder remains, particularly in areas around the venue of the match itself.”

Scottish Professional Football League chief executive Neil Doncaster said producing the post-split fixtures can be “a juggling act trying to satisfy the wishes of all 12 clubs, while also working with Police Scotland and our broadcast partners”.