Celtic boss Martin O’Neill admitted that the chaotic scenes at the end of the title-clinching win over Hearts were deeply concerning.
Thousands of Celtic supporters invaded the pitch after Callum Osmand scored deep into stoppage-time to seal a 3-1 victory.
Several Hearts players were confronted by the yobs and there were also allegations that some had even been assaulted.
Hearts then left the stadium almost immediately, with their team bus requiring a police escort away from Parkhead.
O’Neill claimed he never got a clear view of the mayhem, but the veteran manager admitted it was ‘pretty serious’.
He also admitted that he didn’t realise whether or not the game was actually over, with at least 30 seconds of stoppage-time left to play.
Celtic fans invaded the pitch as the title decider against Hearts neared its conclusion
Lawrence Shankland and other Hearts players were targeted and goaded by invading fans
Hearts boss Derek McInnes is approached by a Celtic supporter
‘I am not pleading the fifth amendment, I don’t know,’ said O’Neill. ‘If there have been some Hearts players accosted, then that’s just not right at all. It’s pretty serious.
‘I genuinely didn’t see the scenes at the end, because I’m there. I thought the game wasn’t over, so I’m trying to push some of our fans off the pitch again to play whatever’s left.
‘Obviously, I think at 3-1, I think that the fourth official had said to me there was like a minute to go when we scored the goal.
‘So, with the best will in the world, they’re not going to get two goals in that time. I didn’t see the incidents.
‘Obviously, there’s a lot of commotion in the tunnel, so I don’t know. If Hearts players have been accosted by some of our fans, that’s pretty serious.’
Hearts manager Derek McInnes and his players had to be led away by police as they were targeted and goaded by Celtic fans.
It poorly shameful scenes cast a sorry cloud over what ought to have been a thrilling finale to the Scottish Premiership season.
The Hearts players headed straight for their bus, still in their team kits, and left the stadium barely 10 minutes after full-time.
Celtic boss Martin O’Neill was unaware of the incident as his side went on to win the title
‘I haven’t had a chance to speak to Derek,’ said O’Neill. ‘But whoever was going to win the game, I would imagine that the same scenario would have happened.
‘I think that Derek would have been on the pitch with his team, and I would have been sitting in a room with a towel over my head.
‘I was asking the fourth official, or one of the linesmen in the tunnel, and he said it’s over.
‘Derek came over to me and shook my hand, and he said, well done.
‘Then it was probably the moment I thought, well, the game must be over. But I didn’t know.’
