Celtic fans' protest 'despicable' and dangerous, says Ross County's Stuart Kettlewell
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Police gave Celtic and Ross County players an escort from the stadium
Ross County manager Stuart Kettlewell has called the scenes of disorder outside Celtic Park after his side's 2-0 win on Sunday "despicable".
The County squad needed a police escort away from the stadium as hundreds of fans gathered to call for the removal of Celtic manager Neil Lennon.
Kettlewell hopes it will not deter the Scottish government from allowing more fans into grounds despite Covid-19.
"You have to realise that we are in the middle of a global pandemic," he said.
"If we look at the bigger picture outside football, we have got police wrestling with people who potentially could have the virus and they are putting themselves properly in the front line to try and contain a situation.
"And some of the scenes I see sitting on the bus, watching police fighting and trying their damndest to stop guys breaking the perimeter barriers they set out, was just despicable."
Three police officers suffered minor injuries, while Celtic players and management also required an escort from the stadium while being targeted by missiles following the holders' Scottish League Cup second-round defeat.
"I can only speak from sitting in that car park waiting to get away from Parkhead and it is not scenes any of us want to see in Scottish football," Kettlewell said, adding that it had soured a "brilliant day" for his own club.
It comes at a time when a number of senior figures within Scottish football have been restating their plea for supporters to be allowed back into grounds in greater numbers.
Under the guidelines set out in the Scottish government's tiered framework for tackling Covid-19, only a few areas of the country are considered safe enough for spectators in stadiums - a maximum of 300. With the Highlands being one such region, County are currently able to host a limited number of fans at their home games.
"I hope it doesn't have an impact," Kettlewell said. "It looks terrible at the time, of course it does, I am not getting away from that fact, but I just hope that we can put that down to emotion running wild and just a moment of absolute madness from a small band of people.
"Hopefully we can look at the good work that has been done by football clubs and the good work that has been done by people coming into football clubs of late. If I specify it to ourselves, everybody that has come into our ground of late, the 200/300 supporters have conducted themselves brilliantly."
Meanwhile, Ross County have confirmed striker Michael O'Connor has resigned from the club having made just one appearance this season.
The 22-year-old signed for the Highland club in the summer from League of Ireland side Waterford.
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