Stamping out sectarianism should be next after snuffing out pyro

The failure of Nasser Djiga, Jayden Meghoma, Thelo Aasgaard, Youssef Chermiti, Max Aarons and Joe Rothwell, summer signings of whom so much was both needed and expected by Rangers, to perform to the required standard in Mount Florida led to much debate about whether newly-appointed head coach Danny Rohl would be able to succeed in his role without strengthening further.

Then there was Martin O'Neill. Specifically, his clobber. The septuagenarian Northern Irishman rather resembled one of the embarrassing dads who had flocked to the Oasis reunion concerts in their tens of thousands this summer as he gesticulated and gyrated around his technical area wearing a garish lime green Adidas tracksuit. All he needed was a "Mad For It" bucket hat, and the look was complete. You gotta Rohl with it? You better believe it.

But one extremely important development for Scottish football was completely lost amid the madness and mayhem which ensued after the final whistle blew in the breathless, incident-packed, epic last four showdown. Namely, the use of pyrotechnics by fans, a couple of stray bangers aside, was snuffed out. 

Kick-off wasn't delayed for an eternity by the match official, so the thick smoke could clear. Fans in both ends of the packed stadium who suffer from asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, epilepsy and other serious medical conditions were able to watch the action without fear of a mass coordinated display which could hospitalise them, breaking out.

Callum McGregor and his teammates and James Tavernier and his were allowed to concentrate on their craft, regulation time and extra-time, without having rockets fired above their heads from the stands or discarded flares or smoke bombs lobbed towards the playing surface.  

The contrast with previous League Cup and Scottish Cup semi-finals and finals could not have been any greater. The disciplinary measures which the SPFL took against Celtic and Rangers following the misconduct of the hardcore element of their followers in the latter stages of the competition last term have had an immediate impact. 

The Parkhead and Ibrox clubs had their ticket allocations slashed by 500 by the governing body. The unprecedented move prompted the Bhoys Celtic and Green Brigade ultras groups to boycott the fixture in protest at collective punishment, with many suffering as a result of the actions of relatively few. But the Union Bears were present in force, and they left their Bengal Flashes at home.

Those who have long been alarmed about the growing use of incendiary devices in grounds around Scotland – and the SFA, SPFL, Football Safety Officers Association (Scotland), Police Scotland, PFA Scotland and the Scottish government have all been looking closely at this concerning trend for the past few years – were rightly pleased at the highly satisfactory outcome.

Will we never again see the sort of “large-scale, organised and illegal” displays which have endangered the physical well-being and spoiled the enjoyment of so many in a ground in this country? That is unlikely given the immaturity and mentality of those responsible. For the “no pyro no party” mob, it is an essential part of their culture. They are certain to return to their bad old ways again at some point in the future.

At least, though, the authorities have shown a willingness to take the necessary steps when they do. They have, too, highlighted that hitting clubs whose supporters are unable to behave with sanctions can have the desired effect. What was that about strict liability not working again?

Are there other issues in the Scottish game which the threat of slashed ticket allocations or even stand closures could be used to tackle? How about sectarianism? It is quite frankly astonishing that bigoted chants still pollute the atmosphere when the two main Glasgow clubs take to the field in the politically correct times in which we currently live.

If the sport’s powerbrokers showed the same willingness to address this age-old problem as they have with pyro, then they might be surprised at the results. The odious Famine Song is no longer heard inside stadiums because of the public outcry there was when it started to be aired and the legal action which was subsequently taken to stop it. But why do other equally offensive chants still get belted out on match days?

Until somebody puts their head above the parapets and attempts to do something meaningful about sectarianism, we should be pleased that both League Cup semi-finals passed off without pyro.

Even Liam Gallagher, the legendary Oasis frontman, is against them. He took to X to lambast “the massive c***” who lobbed a flare into the crowd at a concert in Melbourne, Australia, earlier this month. “You will get yours, trust me,” he said in an expletive-laden post. Maybe the SPFL should consider drafting in our kid to aid their cause.