Hearts condemn serious physical abuse following Celtic pitch invasion
Hearts have condemned “serious physical and verbal abuse” towards their players and staff following a pitch invasion by celebrating Celtic fans at Parkhead on Saturday.
Celtic secured the Scottish Premiership title on the final day of the season with a dramatic 3-1 victory over the Edinburgh side.
Moments after Callum Osmand’s decisive late goal, a wave of home supporters breached the pitch to celebrate the championship win.
The jubilant scenes quickly escalated as several crestfallen visiting players were confronted before being ushered down the tunnel by concerned officials.
Disturbing scenes at Parkhead
The Tynecastle club revealed that members of their squad were caught up in an incident they described as an embarrassment to Scottish football.
A menacing and threatening atmosphere inside the stadium forced the visiting team to evacuate within 20 minutes of the full-time whistle.
The speedy departure meant the Scottish Premiership runners-up were forced to leave the venue while still wearing their match kits.
Meanwhile, the newly crowned champions and the vast majority of their supporters remained inside the stadium awaiting the trophy presentation.
Police Scotland launch investigation
The capital club have officially confirmed they are in dialogue with Police Scotland regarding the distressing post-match events.
Heart of Midlothian expect the footballing authorities to take the strongest possible action to protect the integrity of the game and the safety of all participants.
In a strongly worded official statement, the club expressed deep concern over the unacceptable treatment of their personnel.
Reports of serious physical and verbal abuse towards our players and staff, both on the pitch and elsewhere, are deeply disturbing.
We will make no further comment at this time other than to say that it is completely unacceptable that our players and staff were put in that situation.
Heartbreak after dominant campaign
The ugly scenes compounded a devastating afternoon for the Jambos, who had remarkably led the league standings for 250 days.
Ultimately, they finished just two points adrift of O’Neill’s side, falling agonisingly short of a historic league triumph.
The immediate evacuation also prevented the management team from fulfilling their mandatory post-match media obligations.
The club issued an apology to their broadcast partners, reiterating that the immediate safety of their staff remained their absolute primary focus.
