Expert to lead review of football policing in Scotland

Celtic fans trying to escape the crush before the Old Firm match

An expert will be commissioned to review policing at football matches in Scotland.

The move was confirmed at a Scottish Police Authority meeting in response to a question about a crush at Celtic Park earlier this month.

But the force later said the review was not triggered by a particular incident.

One supporter was taken to hospital, and four were treated at the scene, after the incident before an Old Firm match on 2 September.

Deputy Chief Constable Will Kerr told the Scottish Police Authority that the appointment of the expert who will head the review would be finalised soon.

Mr Kerr, who recently joined the force from the National Crime Agency, said it had an "enviable reputation" for managing major events such as the Ryder Cup, Commonwealth Games and the recent European Championships.

'Enviable reputation'

He also highlighted the fact that Assistant Chief Constable Bernard Higgins addressed a Uefa event last year on high-risk football matches.

Mr Kerr said: "That said, whilst we are comfortable in how we police football matches, any mature learning organisation has to be comfortable enough to challenge itself, particularly when there is a public debate around how matches are policed."

The deputy chief constable confirmed he was writing a terms of reference for an independent professional assurance review into how the force polices matches across Scotland.

As part of this process, a policing expert from elsewhere in the UK had informally agreed on Wednesday to carry out the review.

Mr Kerr told the SPA meeting in Stirling that more details would be released when the process was formalised.

He added: "Essentially I want the review to be in two parts. One, how we functionally police football matches: how we gather intelligence, the flexibility of our deployment practices, how we manage risk at football matches.

"But, equally importantly, how the policing of those football matches feels, the tone and presentation of them.

"So we would be very keen for the person that we are going to commission to speak to a range of stakeholders involved in football matches. Everything from SFA to SPFL, right through to some supporters' clubs and football clubs themselves."

Multi-agency review

Mr Kerr said the appointment would be finalised in the next few weeks and the review would be completed before Christmas.

The deputy chief constable disclosed details about the review in response to a question about the crush at Celtic Park.

But the force later said there was not a link between that incident and the review.

Assistant chief constable Higgins said: "The incident at Celtic Park is already subject to a multi-agency review and debrief which we are fully participating in.

"The Police Scotland review which was announced at the Scottish Police Authority Board meeting today is not about a particular incident or match, but about the policing of football in a wider sense."

Celtic apologised to supporters and later confirmed it had hired consultants to carry out an independent review into events leading up to the crush.