POLICE Scotland’s disclosure that it does not know the cost of policing Celtic fans’ Premiership celebrations has been branded “astonishing and an insult to taxpayers” by a community council.
Merchant City and Trongate Community Council (MCTCC) submitted a Freedom of Information (FoI) request to Police Scotland asking for the cost of policing the fans’ “title parties" at and around Glasgow Cross in May 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025.
The celebrations caused widespread damage and disruption in Glasgow city centre each time.
In response Police Scotland said it did not collect such data and added: “The nature of policing means that officers are deployed to wherever their services are most required and as such costs of policing such events are not routinely calculated.”
Speaking after this year’s event, Police Scotland chief constable Jo Farrell said 320 police were on duty and a minority of fans “set off pyrotechnics, used inflammatory banners, (committed) violence and disorder…the impact on residents, businesses, tourism and cost to the taxpayer cannot be ignored.”
“It is astonishing for Police Scotland to admit it doesn’t have a clue what it cost to bring some kind of order to these events which have blighted Glasgow city centre for years, a spokesperson for MCTCC commented.
"Policing is not free. This is an insult to taxpayers who, year after year, have had to foot the bill.
“This May more than 300 officers had to be called upon to safeguard residents, visitors, traffic and property. The expense of all that was substantial, in addition to the costs of cleaning up afterwards.”
Merchant City and Trongate Community Council and the neighbouring Calton Community Council have repeatedly asked Celtic FC to organise and pay for its own Premiership celebration events. Both have written to the Club’s chief executive and chairman but are yet to receive a response.
MCTCC has now submitted a formal challenge to Police Scotland’s response, saying there is an urgent need for transparency and that public interest demanded such figures were made available.
In 2021 it also complained about Rangers’ supporters’ disruption of the George Square area of Glasgow when the team won the league title that year.
