Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers hopes the club’s supporters will finally heed the warnings over the use of pyrotechnics after the Glasgow giants were hit with two SPFL charges this week following incidents at the Premier Sports Cup semi-final and final at Hampden Park.
The runaway Scottish Premiership leaders have been handed a suspended sanction that could see their ticket allocation for future League Cup matches at the national stadium reduced by 800 if further breaches occur before the end of March 2027.
In addition, a separate charge relating to flares being used during the final has resulted in an immediate reduction of 500 tickets for their next fixture in the competition at the national stadium.
Celtic are not the only club to be penalised, with both Motherwell and Rangers also found to have breached SPFL rule H34, which requires clubs to take all reasonable measures to prevent unacceptable conduct from players, officials, and supporters during official matches.
“Well, hopefully,” Rodgers said, when asked if he hopes the repeat use of pyrotechnics will stop.
“I have to say the group within our support base, they give us an amazing support. The colour, everything that they bring is so good.
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“I think it is something, I have to say, that I'm not going to be closed on my thinking on it either, because I know it is in other countries where it is accepted and there is engagement there with supporters to have it.
“But I think normally over here in the UK, we deem it as more dangerous than being a part of the colour of the game.
“I just think if it has a possibility to affect people's health and puts them in any danger, then I just think there are other things that we can do that can still create an amazing atmosphere. I've seen it so many times, what we can do without the pyro.
“But, like I said, I, like the other people and many other people within the clubs, we just hope that we can have games that are safe and that supporters can come and really support the team.
“It's with the club. The club have made the statement on it.
“I always want, obviously, our support base to have as many supporters as they can be there, with noise, with colour, with everything. And that's what makes our support absolutely brilliant.
“So, yes, I've seen that, but I know the club are dealing with that.”
