Celtic claimed the Scottish Premiership title on Saturday after a dramatic 3-1 victory over Hearts at Celtic Park in a chaotic finale.
The win sealed the league crown for Martin O’Neill’s side, but the celebrations that followed quickly descended into serious disorder on the pitch.
After Callum Osmand sealed the result, a large number of Celtic supporters stormed the field before referee Don Robertson had blown the final whistle.
Stewards and police moved in swiftly, with Hearts players and staff guided off the pitch and up the tunnel amid the chaotic scenes.
According to reports, a number of Hearts players were allegedly assaulted by invading supporters before they could safely reach the tunnel.
Sky Sports presenter Eilidh Barbour confirmed on air that reports had been received regarding alleged assaults on Hearts players before they left the pitch.
Hearts players and staff left Celtic Park sharply and in full kit, with television cameras capturing the team bus departing Glasgow shortly after the final whistle.
Police Scotland confirmed on Sunday they were reviewing CCTV footage and were engaging with Hearts to establish whether any of their players had been assaulted on the pitch.
The force confirmed four people were arrested at Celtic Park, with a further ten arrests made in Glasgow city centre and four more in Edinburgh.
Two police officers were injured during the disorder, with one described as seriously hurt, while three members of the public also sustained injuries.
Police said they had dealt with “unacceptable violence and hostility” as thousands of fans gathered in Glasgow to mark Celtic’s title win.
Around 3,000 people made their way to the Trongate area of Glasgow following the match, where significant disorder broke out and officers were struck by missiles including glass bottles.
Celtic manager Martin O’Neill addressed the scenes after the game, saying: “If some Hearts players have been accosted, then that’s just not right at all.”
O’Neill added: “I genuinely didn’t see the scenes at the end because I thought the game wasn’t over, so I’m trying to push some of our fans off the pitch again.”
Hearts released a statement condemning the pitch invasion and calling for firm action from footballing authorities in the strongest possible terms.
The statement read: “Our players were then denied the opportunity to thank our magnificent fans — sensational to a person — for their backing this afternoon and all season long.”
Hearts added: “We expect the strongest action possible to be taken by the footballing authorities in the interests of protecting the safety of players and supporters, and the integrity of our game.”
Celtic issued their own statement expressing regret that their title win “was followed by a number of individuals entering the field of play” and apologised to Hearts for the situation.
Police Scotland subsequently confirmed that a 38-year-old man had been arrested and charged in connection with an assault during the Celtic versus Hearts fixture on Saturday, 16 May, 2026.
The arrest is understood to relate specifically to an alleged assault on a Hearts player on the pitch, with further investigations into the events of that day continuing.
