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Daily Record
Daily Record
Sport
Mark Pirie

Celtic brand Rangers coach’s headbutt on Fran Alonso 'hugely concerning' as Parkhead giants call for action

Celtic have described an attack on coach Fran Alonso as a “hugely concerning incident".

The Parkhead club have spoken out after the controversial scenes at the end of their SWPL 1 derby with Rangers. Ibrox coach Craig McPherson appeared to headbutt Alonso in a fiery end to the fixture with the Celtic women boss also stating he was called “a little rat” after the confrontation which has subsequently been condemned across the game in the aftermath. A Celtic spokesperson commented: “Clearly this is a hugely concerning incident, falling well below any acceptable standard.

"We understand the matter is now being investigated and it will be up to all relevant authorities to take any appropriate action.” A Police Scotland spokesperson also confirmed that they would be looking into the scenes: “We have received a report regarding an incident at Broadwood Stadium on the evening of Monday, 27 March, 2023. Enquiries to establish any criminality are at an early stage.”

Former SFA referee Steve Conroy has demanded that the SFA take firm action against McPherson as he demanded that the Ibrox coach is hit with a lifetime ban. Speaking to BettingSites.co.uk, Conroy said: “It is appalling. He should be instantly removed from his post and banned for life. There is absolutely no mitigation for that. He gave it forethought and should pay the full price for it.

“It's embarrassing that the first SWPL game to be shown live on Sky Sports is grabbing headlines for all the wrong reasons. This is simply thuggish behaviour, and the man involved should face the full consequences. We are trying to get rid of all forms of aggression and intimidation in football from grassroots upwards. This must be dealt with in the appropriate way.”

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