Press Releases

Merchant City and Trongate Community Council (MCTCC) submitted a Freedom of Information request to Police Scotland asking for the cost of policing the fans’ “title parties’ at and around Glasgow Cross in May 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025. These caused widespread damage and disruption in Glasgow city centre each time.

In response Police Scotland said it did not collect such data and added: “The nature of policing means that officers are deployed to wherever their services are most required and as such costs of policing such events are not routinely
calculated.”
Speaking after this year’s event, Police Scotland Chief Constable Jo Farrell said 320 police were on duty and a minority of fans “set off pyrotechnics, used inflammatory banners, (committed) violence and disorder…the impact on residents, businesses, tourism and cost to the taxpayer cannot be ignored.”

A spokesperson for MCTCC commented: “It is astonishing for Police Scotland to admit it doesn’t have a clue what it cost to bring some kind of order to these events which have blighted Glasgow city centre for years. Policing is not free. This is an insult to taxpayers who, year after year, have had to foot the bill.

“This May more than 300 officers had to be called upon to safeguard residents, visitors, traffic and property. The expense of all that was substantial, in addition to the costs of cleaning up afterwards.”

Merchant City and Trongate Community Council and the neighbouring Calton Community Council have repeatedly asked Celtic FC to organise and pay for its own Premiership celebration events. Both have written to the Club’s Chief Executive and Chairman but have never received a reply.

MCTCC has now submitted a formal challenge to Police Scotland’s response, saying there is an urgent need for transparency and that public interest demanded such figures were made available.

In 2021 it also complained about Rangers’ supporters’ disruption of the George Square area when the team won the league title that year.

The County Grand Lodge of Glasgow is listed as the organiser of a VE (Victory in Europe) Day 80th Anniversary event on Saturday May 17 when Celtic play their final league game of the season against St Mirren at Parkhead.

In the past two years an estimated 25,000 of the team’s fans have converged on Glasgow Cross, resulting in widespread damage and anti-social behaviour.

Merchant City and Trongate Community Council questioned the Orange Lodge’s decision to hold its parade on this day rather than when other VE events are taking place throughout Scotland and the rest of the UK.

A spokesperson commented: “Making it the same date as the anticipated Celtic celebrations risks making a bad situation even worse. Residents and businesses in and around Glasgow Cross are already concerned about serious disruption following the Celtic-St Mirren match. Police are likely to have their hands full just dealing with that.”

Around 2,500 people are expected to take part in the March, with more following alongside. It is due to start near the Royal Infirmary and go through the city centre before heading across the River Clyde to end at Kinning Park.

VE Day is celebrated on May 8 each year, and events in around Glasgow will take place on the weekend of May 10/11 as well as a service of thanksgiving at Glasgow Cathedral on 8 May. On the same day UK Government buildings will observe a two-minute national silence at 12 noon.

The spokesperson added: “The presence of tens of thousands of Celtic and Orange Lodge supporters in the city on the same day is an unwelcome and possibly inflammatory mix. We call on Glasgow City Council and the County Grand Lodge to get together to arrange for the parade to take place on a different date.”

Glasgow Kelvin MSP Kaukab Stewart convened a high level meeting at Hampden Park on 28 March in an attempt to prevent a recurrence of the disruptions of 2023 and 2024 at Glasgow Cross and surrounds. 

Among those attending the meeting were the Chief Executive of the Scottish Professional Football League, senior officials of Celtic FC, the Scottish Government, Glasgow City Council, representatives of Celtic and Rangers’ fans, and representatives of Calton and Merchant City and Trongate and Community Councils. However, there was no agreement on practical measures to stop the possibility of more civil disorder on May 17.

In 2019 Glasgow City Council said it was investigating whether a moratorium on public processions could be introduced to ease community tensions while a new long-term approach to parades was considered.

In response to an enquiry from Merchant City and Trongate Community Council Darren Lambie, the City Council’s Group Manager for Community Safety, said that as part of a budgetary review its Out of Hours Domestic Noise Service had stopped actively responding to complaint calls at the end of August.

The two remaining officers would provide advice only between 5 pm and 3 am.

A spokesperson for Merchant City and Trongate Council commented: “Anti-social noise late at night and in the wee small hours of the morning is a blight on the daily lives of thousands of city centre residents every year.

“Much of this has been happening with little, no or late meaningful intervention. Incidents are often repeated. Now we know the Council isn’t even going to pretend it’s taking action. What kind of ‘advice’ are the remaining two members of staff going to offer people who can’t get a decent night’s sleep because of noisy neighbours?”

Mr Lambie said the Council’s Environmental Health section would continue to operate its out of noise commercial noise service which deals with complaints about pubs and other licensed premises.

Peter Hayman, who stepped down as a full member of Merchant City and Trongate Community Council (MCTCC) in October, was presented with a commemorative trophy in recognition of his achievement.

Active in a Community Council in Ayrshire before moving to Glasgow, he has specialised most recently in reviewing planning applications as well as campaigning for more active travel facilities, especially for cyclists. He remains an Associate Community Councillor.

Community Council Chair Tam Coyle commented: “We know of no other Community Councillor in Scotland who has achieved such a remarkable milestone. Peter can look back with pride on five decades of work on behalf of his fellow citizens who have benefitted greatly from his vast experience, insights, experience and knowledge.”

Community Councils in Scotland were launched in 1973 by an Act of Parliament which defined their purpose as “to ascertain, co-ordinate and express to the Local Authorities for its area … the views of the community it represents, in relation to matters for which those authorities are responsible.” There are currently approximately 1,200 active Community Councils in Scotland.

Photo: Left to right Depute Lord Provost Baillie Christy Mearns, Tam Coyle, Peter’s wife Anne and Peter Hayman.