Hearts have denounced the “shameful” events that unfolded after Celtic’s dramatic clinching of the Scottish Premiership title in Glasgow on Saturday. The club has confirmed it is in communication with the police regarding “reports of serious physical and verbal abuse towards our players and staff.”
Following the conclusion of their title aspirations in a contentious manner, the Hearts team made a quick exit from Celtic Park, with some players reportedly injured as Celtic supporters rushed onto the pitch.
After Callum Osmand scored deep into stoppage time to make it 3-1, thousands of fans rushed onto the field to celebrate, despite the match not yet concluding.
Several fans confronted the disheartened Hearts players, who were escorted down the tunnel by club officials concerned for their wellbeing. The match, which was nearing the end of the indicated eight minutes of stoppage time, did not resume.
“Heart of Midlothian utterly condemns the disgraceful scenes at Celtic Park this afternoon, which have again brought embarrassment to Scottish football,” the Edinburgh club stated in a statement on Saturday.
“The reports of serious physical and verbal abuse directed at our players and staff, both on the pitch and elsewhere, are profoundly troubling. We are investigating this matter thoroughly and are in discussions with Police Scotland. We will refrain from further comments at this time, except to stress that it is entirely unacceptable for our players and staff to be subjected to such treatment.”
While Celtic’s players and supporters remained in the stadium to celebrate the trophy lift, the Hearts team bus departed Parkhead within 20 minutes of the final whistle, with players still in their match kits, and did not carry out their post-match media obligations.
“The pitch invasion led to a chaotic end, leaving everyone unsure about whether the match had concluded,” the statement continued.
“Our players were unable to express their gratitude to our incredible fans—who were fantastic throughout the entire season—due to these events.”
“We expect the strongest possible actions to be taken by the football authorities to ensure the safety of players and fans, as well as the integrity of our game.”
Later on Saturday evening, Police Scotland confirmed that they are working alongside Hearts to investigate the situation in Glasgow.
“We are in contact with Heart of Midlothian FC to determine if any of their players were assaulted on the pitch at the conclusion of the match,” a statement noted.
“The circumstances of the incident are currently under review.”
Celtic manager Martin O’Neill commented: “If any Hearts players have been confronted, that is absolutely unacceptable.” He remarked that he did not witness the incidents at the match’s conclusion, as he believed the game was not yet over and was trying to clear some fans off the pitch to complete the remaining time.
“With the score at 3-1, I’d been informed by the fourth official that there was about a minute left when we scored, so it’s pretty clear that they wouldn’t manage to score twice in that timeframe. There’s a lot of upheaval happening in the tunnel, so I’m not fully aware of the situation, but if Hearts players have been confronted by some of our fans, that’s a serious issue. This matter will need to be addressed by the officials or relevant authorities.”
Information from ESPN’s Rob Dawson contributed to this report.