Motherwell left with broken seats in Celtic away end as extent of Fir Park damage laid bare

In the Sunday noon match, the Hoops defeated Rangers 3-1 to maintain their lead in the league standings.Images of broken chairs in the away end at Fir Park, where Celtic supporters sit, have surfaced.

Fans have already flocked onto the pitch during a September match between the two teams at Fir Park, so this is not the first time it has happened. That day, there was late drama as Blair Spittal equalised five minutes into added time after Luis Palma scored for the visitors in the 87th minute. Two minutes later, Matt O’Riley scored a thrilling winner.

The club’s discord over the Lanarkshire incidents earlier in the season was evident in a statement released in November following the Green Brigade’s ban. It stated: “The unsafe behaviour at Fir Park on 30 September, including rushing turnstiles and forcing open fire exits to permit access to individuals without tickets and pitch incursions.”

The Hoops fans were out in force for their Sunday lunchtime match against Motherwell, hoping their heroes would narrow the gap between them and rivals Rangers at the top of the Scottish Premiership table to just two points after their thrilling victory over Hearts at Ibrox on Saturday. However, just as in previous weeks, the winners were unable to settle into a rhythm throughout the first forty-five minutes and were behind by a goal from Spittal at the break.

In a move that he later described as tactical, Brendan Rodgers turned to his bench and sent in Adam Idah. The Norwich City loanee immediately rewarded the gamble with a spectacular header past Liam Kelly following a superb cross from full-back Greg Taylor. As the clock ran out, it appeared that Celtic would drop more points, but Idah scored a stoppage-time goal off a low cross from Alistair Johnston, setting off chaotic scenes in the away end.

After that, Palma added a third to guarantee the Parkhead team all three points in what might turn out to be a crucial victory. The pictures of broken seats in the stands that surfaced, many of them decorated in a variety of stickers, will be a low moment for the afternoon, though.

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