SCOTTISH MEDIA CAN’T REWRITE WHAT EVERYONE SAW
The rush to sensationalise Celtic’s title celebrations says far more about sections of the Scottish media than it does about the events themselves.
In the aftermath of Celtic’s title-winning victory, some outlets have gone out of their way to paint scenes at Celtic Park as something sinister, chaotic and dangerous — despite there being no clear evidence of assaults, violence, or the kind of disorder now being heavily implied in dramatic headlines and loaded language.
The Daily Record’s decision to use words like “assaulted” in quotation marks while simultaneously building an entire narrative around unverified claims is exactly the kind of click-driven reporting that continues to damage trust in Scottish football coverage. It reads less like responsible journalism and more like an attempt to manufacture outrage from celebration.
Supporters entering the pitch after title wins is not a new phenomenon in football. It happened because emotions overflowed at the end of a dramatic season decider. Was it ideal? No. Could it have been handled better? Of course. But trying to transform a spontaneous pitch invasion into a storyline about widespread violence without presenting actual evidence is irresponsible.
The language used throughout the article is deliberately theatrical — “ugly scenes”, “assaults”, “chaotic scenes” — all designed to push readers toward a conclusion before any facts are properly established. Even the article itself relies on phrases like “we are hearing reports” rather than confirmed incidents. That distinction matters.
There is a growing sense that the narrative is now becoming more important to certain pundits and publications than the reality itself. Instead of acknowledging a massive sporting achievement and the emotion surrounding it, some appear determined to recast the day through the lens of hysteria and moral panic.
Celtic secured a league title in dramatic fashion. That should be the story.
Not an exaggerated attempt to criminalise supporters based on speculation, loaded wording and second-hand claims.
Football media has a responsibility to report events accurately — not inflate them for engagement, outrage and clicks. Scottish football deserves better than coverage that tries to turn celebration into scandal simply because controversy generates traffic.
The title was won on the pitch. No amount of sensationalism afterwards changes that.
