{"id":2016,"date":"2026-05-18T00:36:13","date_gmt":"2026-05-18T00:36:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/betreview.net\/?p=2016"},"modified":"2026-05-18T00:36:13","modified_gmt":"2026-05-18T00:36:13","slug":"celtic-issue-apology-to-hearts-for-pitch-invasion-at-end-of-scottish-premiership-title-decider","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/betreview.net\/?p=2016","title":{"rendered":"Celtic issue apology to Hearts for pitch invasion at end of Scottish Premiership title decider"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div id=\"main\">\n<div class=\"hydrate-root sc-1ihz57b-0\" data-component=\"Newsletter\" data-loading=\"lazy\" data-theme-name=\"independent\">\n<div data-theme-wrapper=\"independent\" style=\"display:contents\">\n<aside class=\"sc-y4bm30-0 jwWhkK newsletter-component sc-1ge0fwe-0\" data-newsletter-key=\"receiveInsideSportNews\">\n<div class=\"sc-y4bm30-2 kcLSBk\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/static-assets\/images\/newsletters\/InsideSport1_1.png\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Inside Sport\" class=\"sc-1mc30lb-0 ggpMaE\"\/><\/div>\n<div class=\"sc-y4bm30-1 inRDZn\">\n<div class=\"sc-y4bm30-3\">\n<div class=\"sc-y4bm30-4 hfveGa\">\n<p><h3 class=\"sc-y4bm30-5 sc-y4bm30-6 fvoxRM cLEJmn\">Inside Sport newsletter: Get an expert guide to the biggest moments shaping the world of sport<\/h3>\n<h3 class=\"sc-y4bm30-5 sc-y4bm30-8 fvoxRM iTZFOX\">Get our free Inside Sport newsletter<\/h3>\n<h3 class=\"sc-y4bm30-5 sc-y4bm30-7 fvoxRM iGYpOF\">Get our free Inside Sport newsletter<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<p><svg class=\"sc-eaj12q-0 hKcUSR sc-culv3z-0 eifaJK sc-1ix0cah-0 PYnPb sc-y4bm30-10 fUEDPX\"><use href=\"#600f53465147d717\"\/><\/svg><\/div>\n<div class=\"sc-y4bm30-2 kcLSBk sc-y4bm30-9 iQYNfz\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/static-assets\/images\/newsletters\/InsideSport1_1.png\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Inside Sport\" class=\"sc-1mc30lb-0 ggpMaE\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/topic\/celtic-fc\">Celtic <\/a>have issued an apology to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/topic\/heart-of-midlothian\">Hearts<\/a> for the pitch invasion that followed their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/topic\/scottish-premiership\">Scottish Premiership<\/a> title decider.<\/p>\n<p>The Glasgow club successfully secured another domestic crown as a 3-1 victory at Celtic Park denied <a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/sport\/football\/celtic-vs-hearts-scottish-premiership-title-result-final-score-b2977888.html\">Hearts after a dramatic title race settled on the final day.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The moment was marred, though, as hundreds of Celtic fans streamed on to the playing surface when Callum Osmand netted in the eighth minute of stoppage-time to put the Hoops 3-1 ahead and effectively seal the championship.<\/p>\n<p>Several ran towards Hearts players and the Edinburgh club noted \u201cdeeply disturbing reports of serious physical and verbal abuse towards our players and staff, both on the pitch and elsewhere\u201d in a statement released on Saturday evening.<\/p>\n<p>The match did not restart after that point, and the SPFL subsequently <a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/sport\/football\/celtic-hearts-abandoned-premiership-spfl-statement-b2978166.html\">confirmed that the game had ended<\/a> before the \u201cunacceptable\u201d behaviour of the home supporters.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/topic\/police-scotland\">Police Scotland<\/a> have vowed to take \u201crobust and swift action\u201d against anybody found to have committed criminality, and Celtic have said they will co-operate fully with the investigation.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe club regrets that our victory over Hearts was followed by a number of individuals entering the field of play,\u201d Celtic said in a statement. \u201cWe again emphasise that there is no justification for this behaviour which, for the vast majority of Celtic supporters, only detracts from the joy of such occasions.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCeltic will co-operate fully with any investigation and with the SPFL in their own processes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe also apologise to Hearts for the situation encountered by their players and staff at the conclusion of the game, and for the fact that these events prevented them from saluting their own supporters at the end of an enthralling campaign, to which they have contributed so much.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Inside Sport newsletter: Get an expert guide to the biggest moments shaping the world of&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2017,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2016","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports"],"featured_image_urls":{"full":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/01KRS814W05Y3YP65P52981Y79.jpg",1200,800,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/01KRS814W05Y3YP65P52981Y79-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/01KRS814W05Y3YP65P52981Y79-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/01KRS814W05Y3YP65P52981Y79-768x512.jpg",640,427,true],"large":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/01KRS814W05Y3YP65P52981Y79-1024x683.jpg",640,427,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/01KRS814W05Y3YP65P52981Y79.jpg",1200,800,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/01KRS814W05Y3YP65P52981Y79.jpg",1200,800,false],"covernews-slider-full":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/01KRS814W05Y3YP65P52981Y79-1115x715.jpg",1115,715,true],"covernews-slider-center":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/01KRS814W05Y3YP65P52981Y79-800x500.jpg",800,500,true],"covernews-featured":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/01KRS814W05Y3YP65P52981Y79-1024x683.jpg",1024,683,true],"covernews-medium":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/01KRS814W05Y3YP65P52981Y79-540x340.jpg",540,340,true],"covernews-medium-square":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/01KRS814W05Y3YP65P52981Y79-400x250.jpg",400,250,true]},"author_info":{"display_name":"admin","author_link":"https:\/\/betreview.net\/?author=1"},"category_info":"<a 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