He said it was clear \u201cthree times\u201d the safe amount of fans were packed into a concourse behind the \u00adstadium\u2019s North Stand ahead of \u00adkick-off.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\nSo, he’s seen the same videos and read the same things that we all have, and has concluded the same thing that everyone else did last Sunday teatime.<\/p>\n
Which is why the Celtic Trust and others took their concerns to the Celtic, and as a result of this, there is now a full, independent inquiry under way.<\/p>\n
Still, who is originally from \u00adAberdeen, is widely regarded as the UK\u2019s leading expert in crowd safety.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\nWell, he can certainly spot a problem.<\/p>\n
And he was quite blunt about what it was…<\/p>\n
He said the level of fans at the spot at Janefield Street, where the North Stand overhangs the road, was \u201cclearly dangerous and a significant risk to life and limb\u201d.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\nWe know.<\/p>\n
The professor of crowd \u00adscience at Manchester \u00adMetropolitan \u00adUniversity said \u00ad\u201cquestions must be asked and \u00adlessons must be learned\u201d over what caused the \u00adterrifying incident, which left five fans hurt.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\nWe know. And they are.<\/p>\n
Dozens of supporters scaled a fence and climbed into the cemetery next to the ground as panic swept through the crowd.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n![\"Image](\"https:\/\/media1.tenor.com\/images\/a5e46f57117833444907d51041456733\/tenor.gif?itemid=4589767\")
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Panic ?<\/p>\n
One of the reasons, to my mind, that there wasn’t a disaster is that the crowd did not panic.<\/p>\n
Someone hasn’t paid enough attention to the witness statements…<\/p>\n
One man suffered a \u00adbroken wrist in the jam involving thousands of home fans ahead of the game in which Celtic beat Rangers 1-0.<\/em><\/p>\nNew segregation \u00adarrangements were in place and police and Celtic are investigating.<\/em><\/p>\nThe club announced on Friday they have drafted in safety consultants to review arrangements and carry out their own inquiry.<\/em><\/p>\nStill said: \u201cPhotographic and video evidence from the incident shows people physically in contact with one another.<\/em><\/p>\n\u201cIt shows the safe limit of fans has been grossly exceeded. It\u2019s clearly a dangerous situation.<\/em><\/p>\nHe’s good, isn’t he ?<\/p>\n
\u201cAt low density, people filter through safely.<\/em><\/p>\n\u201cIf the density is too high, there\u2019s nowhere for them to go and, as in this case, it\u2019s a serious risk to life and limb.<\/em><\/p>\n\u201cAnd if the input of fans exceeds the throughput \u2013 as appears to be the case here \u2013 it means there\u2019s no way out for fans and it\u2019s highly \u00addangerous. The density of fans appears to be six to seven \u00adpeople per square metre \u2013 three times the maximum safe level of about two per square metre.<\/em><\/p>\n\u201cThe person who\u2019s in the control room should have CCTV images or a vantage point high enough to be able to assess this.<\/em><\/p>\n\u201cAt too high density, any trip, slip or fall means people do not have the opportunity to react safely \u2013 and this can have a catastrophic effect.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\nNo shit ? Really ?<\/p>\n
He’s worth every penny, this guy.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s just luck that the outcome wasn\u2019t worse. Fans were climbing up fences to get away.<\/em><\/p>\n\u201cThis shows people were feeling a significant risk to life and limb.<\/em><\/p>\n\u201cThis area should never have become overcrowded in the first place.<\/em><\/p>\n\u201cWe need to know what \u00adprecise decisions were made to move two sets of fans together in this confined space in this way. This was something I would consider to have been an ill-informed crowd management situation.<\/em><\/p>\n\u201cOne of the causes of accidents \u2013 right up to the level of mass fatalities \u2013 is a failure to \u00adunderstand the design limits of a location. I would put this incident in this category. You need to know you \u00adcannot put that many people in such a confined space.<\/em><\/p>\n\u201cAs an expert witness in such cases, I\u2019d be looking for the police logs, witness accounts and CCTV footage. The risk assessment itself needs to be looked at. What have the club done to prevent overcrowding to this extent in that area?\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\u201cThat is where the safety \u00adinvestigation should begin.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\nEr, thats kind of what the independent inquiry is going to do, the one commissioned last week.<\/p>\n
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What concerns me about this report is not the sensationalism, as we are all well aware of how serious the situation was last week, but there is something missing.<\/p>\n
Ah, maybe its in the next bit…<\/p>\n
\u201cThe section of the ground has areas like two large funnels at either end but this is fine as long as the crowd flow and density are \u00adregulated.<\/em><\/p>\n\u201cI think someone has not been aware of the consequences of \u00adallowing two such large groups of fans into this area from either side in this manner.<\/em><\/p>\n\u201cThere\u2019s definitely been a failure to understand the risk in that area at the ground.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\nGo on…<\/p>\n
What happened on Sunday was dangerous but it was predictable and preventable. It\u2019s only good \u00adfortune which prevented fatalities.<\/em><\/p>\n\u201cI feel it\u2019s important to ask \u00adquestions, speak about these cases and learn lessons.<\/em><\/p>\n\u201cIt has been said that \u2018those who do not remember the past are \u00adcondemned to repeat it\u2019. It\u2019s now about working out what happened to stop it happening again.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\nNearly there…<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom video evidence, it appears there are no barriers on either side and police horses do not appear to be regulating crowd flow.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\nAnd there we have it, right at the end…<\/p>\n
Yes, you were under the impression I was perhaps not taking this guy seriously.<\/p>\n
I am.<\/p>\n
His professional reputation is at stake here, and there was no way he was ever going to go along with any agenda that presumes guilt on behalf of Celtic. Thats not to say if the club are at fault we should not demand action to address the fault, but it is to say we should keep an open mind until the investigation is concluded.<\/p>\n
Apart from that one line, which he probably insisted was included, there is no mention of any possible police failings, including the change in procedure for the game.<\/p>\n
One thing we have learned over the years is that we cannot trust the media to be impartial when it comes to Celtic, and this report, which has highlighted a genuine problem, has not looked at it in a wide enough perpsective to , for want of a better phrase, to be considered of any value to any investigation.<\/p>\n
Although, as Still’s credentials in this field are as good as anyones, and there is no suggestion otherwise, perhaps the investigation might like to consider asking him to elaborate on that last line, and to factor in the changes made to pre match crowd control.<\/p>\n
This morning, I get the feeling he might not be overly pleased with the way his thoughts have been presented.<\/p>\n
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It’s international weekend, and Scotland faced Belgium on Friday night, and there was certainly little chance of overcrowding, as no one seemed to give a toss and stayed home to watch the telly instead.<\/p>\n
Scotland lost 4-0 and manager Alex McLeish has had a start to his management stint that truly reflects his abilities.<\/p>\n
He’s got it all to do in the tricky European Nations League-it might be called that, I can’t be arsed checking. If Scotland have agreed to play Israel while that country is going around murdering innocent children then the SFa have finally pushed me over the edge from complete indifference to downright hostility.<\/p>\n
He has said that he’s going to utilise the talents of alan MacGregor of “rangers ” in goal..and yet in doing so has opened up another can of worms, that one that suggests that one particular club, and its successors, is not subject to the same rulings as the others…<\/p>\n
The Telegraph, April 3, 2009…<\/p>\n
Barry Ferguson and Allan McGregor banned for life from playing for Scotland<\/h1>\nRangers players Barry Ferguson and Allan McGregor have been banned from representing Scotland, the Scottish Football Association have confirmed.<\/h2>\n\n
Ferguson, 31, and McGregor, 27, were axed from Scotland’s starting line-up for the World Cup qualifier against Iceland on Wednesday night following a late-night drinking session after the defeat in Holland on Saturday.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
The pair returned to club duty but were sent home from club training on Friday as punishment after photographs emerged of the team-mates making ‘V’ signs while sat on the sidelines at Hampden Park.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
A statement on the Scottish FA website read: “Following on from the events of the past week – and specifically the last 48 hours – the Scottish FA has today confirmed that Barry Ferguson and Allan McGregor will no longer be considered for International selection by Scotland.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
“The decision was taken following further discussions today between the National Team Manager and the Scottish FA Chief Executive.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
“This action has been taken in the best interests of the squad, the fans and the country. Everyone is determined to qualify for the World Cup and we must ensure that nothing is allowed to distract us from this goal.”\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\nScotland manager George Burley had stated initially after his team’s win over Iceland that Ferguson would retain the captaincy but few people expect the midfielder, who has been capped 45 times, to reach his ambition of making a half-century of appearances.<\/em><\/p>\nFerguson and McGregor had initially been ordered home once their misbehaviour was brought to Burley’s attention but they were allowed to stay with the camp after apologising to the manager.<\/em><\/p>\nHowever, the emergence of the players’ gestures during the midweek match – and the public reaction to it – has forced drastic action to be taken.<\/em><\/p>\nBoth players issued an apology for their actions and spoke of their disappointment that their international careers are now over.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\nBurley was sacked in November of that year, and when discussing a replacement, then SFA chief Gordon Smith said that, regarding the lifetime ban the SFA had handed MacGregor and Ferguson..<\/p>\n
I’m sure the new manager will have licence to pick who he wants.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Smith, the day before the ban was announced, had been right behind Burley…(The Times, April 2 2009 )<\/p>\n
Gordon Smith, the chief executive of the Scottish FA (SFA), has refused to support the decision of George Burley to drop Barry Ferguson and Allan McGregor for yesterday\u2019s World Cup qualifying match against Iceland. Smith met Burley after the game and asked him to justify the omission of the Rangers duo, whom the Scotland manager allegedly caught indulging in a late-night drinking session at the team hotel last weekend.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\nAsked before the match if he backed Burley, Smith was noncommittal. \u201cHe has made a decision and I know exactly why he has done it: he\u2019s told me his reasons,\u201d Smith said. \u201cI\u2019m going along with that just now. After the game has passed, George and I will sit down and discuss what has happened in the last few days and review the situation and how it\u2019s been dealt with.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\nSmith revealed that Burley did not consult him or the SFA board over the matter. \u201cWe weren\u2019t involved in the decision at all,\u201d Smith said. \u201cIt\u2019s George\u2019s decision how to deal with it. He has to deal with behaviour and any sanctions that are taken. He also picks the team 100 per cent. It\u2019s his decision whether the players are away from the squad. We have to give him autonomy in that respect. But we\u2019ll be reviewing the situation – I\u2019ve told George that.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\nSmith suggested that the manager was unlikely to alter his stance on the matter. Pressed on what he intended to ask Burley, he replied: \u201cWhat happened; what the situation was in terms of players; whether players have acted in a certain way; if the players\u2019 behaviour wasn\u2019t the type of behaviour you\u2019d expect from international players who are on duty. He\u2019s told me his reasons but we\u2019ll just decide whether it was the best [decision] and George knows that. I\u2019m pretty sure he\u2019ll stand by what he\u2019s done because he\u2019s a strong character and I think that he feels he\u2019s done the best thing.<\/em><\/p>\n\u201cThe players have apologised. Every manager has to deal with disciplinary matters. Sometimes the managers can go the full way and act very strongly. And on other occasions the manager can sometimes see a situation as being over once an apology has been made. Maybe he just wants to keep the team spirit as it is without making any drastic changes.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Apart from anything else, what the fuck has team selection got to do with Smith ?<\/p>\n
Unless the two players had gone running to him asking for him to intervene ?<\/p>\n
Friends in high places ?<\/p>\n
Might also explain why Ryan Jack found himself in a Scotland shirt on Friday.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Smith went on to be Director of football at Rangers in June 2011.<\/p>\n
Less than a year later, they went into liquidation.<\/p>\n
![\"Image](\"https:\/\/i.makeagif.com\/media\/6-15-2016\/vbsYJf.gif\")
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Incidentally, its good to see those often maligned supporters at Ibrox getting behind one of their own who has\u00a0fallen, or perhaps is about to fall, on hard times..<\/p>\n
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Nacho Novo, the cheeky little Spaniard who was in receipt of a few quid that he is about to be asked to pay the tax on has been bleating in the Record about how he feels he has been wrongly, and badly, treated… you know…the EBT scandal…<\/p>\n
\u201cIt has no impact on me. I don\u2019t care about it because it is not fair on the players \u2013 we never asked for EBTs.<\/em><\/p>\n\u201cWhen I went to Rangers, I just wanted to sign the contract and start playing. I would have signed for \u00a310 a week.<\/em><\/p>\n\u201cI didn\u2019t care about the money and I didn\u2019t even f****** speak English at the time so I had no idea about these things. I left it all between my agent and the club.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\nCouldn’t speak English ?<\/p>\n
![\"Image](\"https:\/\/previews.123rf.com\/images\/studiostoks\/studiostoks1602\/studiostoks160200045\/51904057-oops-surprised-woman-pop-art-retro-style-unexpected-news-business-concept.jpg\")
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From his autobiography…<\/p>\n
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What I do know is that we also signed a contract which said, if there were any problems in the future, Rangers would deal with them. So I didn\u2019t have anything to worry about. I just wanted to play. Now, years later, the rules have been changed and I find myself in this situation. I can\u2019t go into details but what I can say is it\u2019s just not fair.<\/em><\/p>\nHe’s not the only one with a selective memory..<\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/pbs.twimg.com\/media\/DmhBr3JWwAAU0BQ.jpg\")
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Ach, who cares ?<\/p>\n
Whits for them will not go by them…<\/p>\n
Back to Friday for the Caption competition…<\/p>\n
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