In the never-ending soap opera that is Scottish football, the Scottish FA (SFA) has once again found itself at the centre of controversy. This time, a Celtic supporter has been hit with a significant ban following serious off-field incidents.
While the headlines scream shock and outrage, let’s cut through the noise and examine the facts, the context, and what this reveals about fan behaviour, club rivalries, and the role of the governing body in trying (and often struggling) to maintain order.
### The Incident That Led to the Ban
On 15 December 2024, ahead of the Scottish League Cup final between Celtic and Rangers at Hampden Park, ugly scenes unfolded in Glasgow city centre. A group of individuals, including a then-17-year-old Celtic fan named **Ciaran Wason**, became involved in violent disorder with rival supporters. Reports detail how the group threw lit fireworks, bricks, bottles, and other projectiles towards opposing fans. This wasn’t a minor scuffle — it was a full-scale disturbance that risked serious injury and further inflamed the already volatile Old Firm atmosphere.
Wason was arrested in April 2025 and later pleaded guilty to a single charge of breach of the peace. In April 2026, the court handed down its sentence: a **three-year ban from attending all regulated football matches** in Scotland, including SPFL, Scottish Cup, and even UEFA fixtures. He was also granted bail with strict conditions prohibiting him from going anywhere near professional football grounds.
To many, this sounds like a straightforward case of accountability. Throwing fireworks and missiles at rival fans isn’t “banter” — it’s dangerous, illegal, and has no place in the game. Yet in the tribal world of Scottish football, reactions are predictably split. Some view it as the SFA and courts finally getting tough on hooliganism. Others see it as selective punishment in a landscape where both sides have form for unacceptable behaviour.
### The “Further Ban” Angle and SFA Involvement
The court-imposed football banning order is the headline punishment here, but it ties into broader SFA disciplinary processes. The Scottish FA has the power to review and extend sanctions related to matchday conduct, especially when incidents occur in the build-up to or during high-profile games like Old Firm clashes. While the primary ban came via the judicial system, the SFA’s overarching governance role means such cases often lead to additional scrutiny, club-level restrictions, or wider reviews of supporter conduct.
This isn’t the only recent Celtic-related fan sanction. Just weeks ago, another Celtic supporter, Craig Birrell, was banned from attending matches for the remainder of the season after being caught with a pyrotechnic device at Tannadice Park. That case involved police intervention and a court appearance, highlighting how individual acts of pyro use or disorder continue to draw swift consequences.
Meanwhile, the SFA has been dealing with larger crowd control issues. Following disorder at the March 2026 Scottish Cup quarter-final between Rangers and Celtic at Ibrox — which included pitch invasions, clashes, and injuries to police and stewards — the governing body launched an independent review. Both clubs condemned the violence, but the events reignited debates about away fan allocations, safety, and whether large Old Firm crowds are sustainable without major restrictions.
### Context: The Bigger Picture of Fan Disorder
Scottish football’s Old Firm rivalry is world-famous for its passion, but that passion too often spills into toxicity. Incidents like the December 2024 city centre trouble, the Ibrox pitch invasions, and sporadic pyro usage aren’t isolated to one club. Both Celtic and Rangers supporters have been involved in shameful episodes over the years. Police, the SFA, and clubs repeatedly warn that such behaviour damages the image of the game, risks lives, and can lead to blanket restrictions (like calls for temporary away fan bans).
In Wason’s case, the “shocking” element that clickbait headlines love to amplify is the sheer recklessness: a young man caught up in throwing dangerous objects in a crowded public space right before a major derby. Defenders might argue he was “only 17” at the time and that rival fans do the same. But courts don’t hand out three-year football bans lightly — this reflects the severity and the need for deterrence.
Celtic as a club has faced its own fan-related headaches recently. The Green Brigade ultras group was hit with a club-imposed ban lasting several months due to “violent and threatening behaviour” at a home game, though that suspension was lifted in April 2026 ahead of a St Mirren match. Celtic has also drawn criticism (and UEFA scrutiny) for pyro incidents in European ties. The club walks a tightrope between embracing its vocal support and cracking down when things cross into illegality or safety risks.
### Is the SFA Being Consistent or Hypocritical?
Here’s where the “Embarrassing from SFA” narrative gains traction among fans. While individual supporters like Wason face lengthy bans for street disorder, the governing body has also drawn fire for other decisions. Pundit Michael Stewart (no club affiliation to Celtic or Rangers) was recently banned from Hampden Park — and even the car park — simply for his outspoken criticism of refereeing standards. Many Celtic fans have actually defended Stewart, seeing his ban as an attempt to silence legitimate questions about officiating consistency, an issue both Old Firm clubs have complained about for decades.
This contrast fuels conspiracy theories: the SFA is quick to punish fans for pyrotechnics or violence but thin-skinned when it comes to media scrutiny. Critics argue the governing body focuses on easy targets (individual “bad apples”) while broader systemic problems — referee quality, inconsistent disciplinary application across clubs, and failure to stamp out all forms of disorder — persist.
On the flip side, authorities point out that football banning orders are a proven tool to protect the game. They send a message that turning up to matches with the intent to cause chaos will cost you your ability to attend, often for years. With Old Firm games carrying huge security costs and risks, the SFA and Police Scotland have every incentive to act decisively.
### What Needs to Change?
1. **Personal Responsibility**: Fans — Celtic, Rangers, or otherwise — must understand that “supporting” your team doesn’t include endangering others. Young supporters like Wason need to realise the long-term consequences before getting swept up in the mob mentality.
2. **Club Accountability**: Celtic (and Rangers) should continue working with police and safety advisory groups to prevent trouble. Lifting bans on groups like the Green Brigade is fine if behaviour improves, but clubs can’t turn a blind eye when safety incidents recur.
3. **SFA Transparency**: The governing body needs to communicate clearly why certain bans or reviews happen. Silencing pundits for criticism while disorder rumbles on looks petty and erodes trust.
4. **Broader Solutions**: Debates about reduced away allocations, better stewarding, education programmes for young fans, and even technological aids (like more CCTV prosecutions) are worth having. Gordon Strachan and others have floated ideas like temporary away fan bans for derbies — extreme, but born from frustration with repeated chaos.
### Final Thoughts: Passion Without Poison
A three-year football ban for a young Celtic fan involved in throwing missiles is no laughing matter. It’s a serious sanction for serious actions. The “you will be shocked” clickbait often exaggerates for engagement, but the underlying behaviour — using fireworks and projectiles in public — genuinely shocks anyone who wants Scottish football to be about the beautiful game rather than street fights.
Celtic supporters, like all fans, have every right to be loud, colourful, and fiercely loyal. The vast majority are. The minority who cross into violence or illegal pyro don’t represent the club or the community. The SFA’s role is to protect the sport for everyone, even if their methods sometimes invite accusations of inconsistency or overreach.
Until both sets of Old Firm fans (and the authorities) consistently prioritise safety and respect over tribal warfare, these stories will keep coming. The real embarrassment isn’t any single ban — it’s the repeated failure to learn from the past and create a matchday atmosphere that everyone can enjoy without fear.
What do you think? Is the SFA too harsh on individual fans, too soft on bigger issues, or just doing its best in a difficult rivalry? Drop your thoughts in the comments. And remember: support your team, but don’t become the story for the wrong reasons.
