SFA in fresh threat as Rangers face more sanctions for use of pyro
Yesterday at 05:00 AM
Philippe Clement has previously warned Rangers fans about the use of pyrotechnics and he may have to do so again.
Gers were hit with an SPFL charge for the use of pyro at the Premier Sports Cup semi-final win over Motherwell, prompting the manager to speak out again.
Clement issued a warning to Rangers supporters, insisting those with ‘good intentions’ would heed it.
It wasn’t the first time Clement had been forced to have his say on the matter.
The Belgian previously urged Gers fans to follow the rules on pyrotechnics, which are not only banned in stadiums but classed as a crime.
Acting chair John Gilligan took aim at a section of the support with the club putting out a strongly-worded statement.
That came after UEFA fined Rangers for displays at Europa League matches against Malmo and Lyon.
Now, Rangers have could be set to be sanctioned once again by the SPFL after pyro displays delayed the kick off of the Premier Sports Cup final.
The governing body issued a statement in the aftermath revealing it was investigating and hinted punishments could get more severe.
SFA could bring in stand closures after Rangers and Celtic pyro bother
The SFA are losing patience over the use of pyrotechnics at grounds and insist more needs to be done. They’re not ruling out stand closures.
Chief executive Ian Maxwell, as per the Glasgow Times, said: “Pyrotechnics are a huge problem. What we've seen in the last rounds of games at Hampden is unacceptable.
“We've seen kick-offs delayed and we're aware of the impact it has from a players' perspective. It creates a potential injury risk to players. I don't know how much people even think about that.
"We're seeing more and more supporters having to leave the stadium before the game has even kicked off because of the impact of smoke inhalation. It's dangerous first and foremost and we need to do something about it, there is no doubt about that. It's becoming more and more of a problem."
SFA president Mike Mulraney said: "There's one critical thing we have to remember – it's a crime. Everybody is losing focus on the fact that it is a crime and that we have legislation to deal with it being a crime.
"It doesn't matter how much the chief executive of the SFA or a club says, 'Please don't do that!'. It's self-evident that these messages are having no impact. What does have an impact is if you use the tools that are currently afforded to us. We have a piece of legislation which allows for football banning orders.
"We need to ban them out of our game. They are criminals, they are not fans. They might call themselves fans, but they are criminals. Last year we had one football banning order. One! I'm getting asked, 'What are you doing about it?'. And I'm saying, 'We will work with anybody to have a positive impact on society and to make sure people are safe'.
"But we need the football banning orders to be embraced as the tool that's currently available to actually ban these people and make it a criminal offence for them to come into our grounds. We've only had one in the last year."
Asked if stand closures could be an option, Mulraney added: "I'm going to be conscious of my words here, but I make no apology for them. Everything must be on the table. Every tool we have must be under consideration. But we only have certain tools.
"What I would say is all of that should be up for debate. Nothing in our rule book is off the table, nothing. But it would seem self evident that if we have this opportunity to impose banning orders then perhaps we should use it a little bit more."
What the SPFL said about pyro at Celtic vs Rangers final
An SPFL statement read: “Sunday's Premier Sports Cup Final was an enthralling match, filled with twists and turns.
“Both teams deserve huge credit for the part they played in one of the most exciting cup finals in recent memory. Celtic and Rangers put on a display of passionate, dramatic and end-to-end football, which showcased all that is best about our game.
“Everyone at the SPFL would like to pass on our congratulations to the players, management and directors of Celtic on their trophy win, and we also send our commiserations to everyone connected with Rangers, who helped make it such a thrilling showpiece event.
“However, the SPFL, Police Scotland and the Scottish FA have been clear that the unauthorised use of pyrotechnics is illegal and unsafe. Therefore, the disruptive displays which took place before and during Sunday's match were completely unacceptable and again led to a delay to the start of the match.
“The SPFL will liaise with Police Scotland regarding their investigations into this illegal behaviour and these events will also be considered as part of the SPFL's ongoing disciplinary investigations into both clubs regarding the use of pyrotechnics.
“The SPFL is awaiting the match delegate's report following the game, which will also consider other matters, including the unacceptable encroachment of supporters onto the Hampden Park trackside area during and after the match.”
