Rangers Supporters Banned for Five Years After Old Firm Chaos

Two Rangers supporters have been banned from every football ground in the UK for five years after ugly scenes marred an Old Firm Scottish Cup quarter-final in March.

The match, already loaded with the usual tension of Rangers against Celtic, spilled over at full-time. What should have been a fierce but contained rivalry turned into a disorder that forced families, children and disabled supporters to be hurried away from danger.

In the middle of it was 21-year-old Mackenzie Graham from Glasgow. Video footage showed him vaulting a fence and charging onto the pitch, then turning back to urge others to follow. He didn’t just join the invasion. He led it, repeatedly inciting more fans to pour over the barrier and onto the playing surface.

Away from the pitch, 19-year-old John Smith from Peterhead was caught on camera throwing a bottle into the section housing Celtic supporters. Police officers moved in and apprehended him in the stand as the atmosphere deteriorated.

The disorder flared at the end of the game and rumbled on as stewards and police tried to restore order and move supporters to safety. What began as a football occasion between Scotland’s two biggest clubs ended under a cloud of chaos and anger.

Both Graham and Smith admitted the charges. Now they face the stark consequence: five years locked out of every football stadium in the country.