It feels strange to admit it, but there really was an era when you could be sure the pitch stayed clear after the big nights. Police and stewards formed a proper cordon, people celebrated, and the grass stayed for the next game. Lately that certainty has gone. Spillovers happen more often and the reaction from officials and some clubs is patchy at best.
Where did the old approach go?
To be fair, football has changed a lot — bigger crowds, different stewarding models and more will to self-police among fans. But you can’t ignore the optics when incidents are tolerated in certain places. I noticed there was no public condemnation when their right back jumped into the crowd at Kilmarnock and that seemed to remove a clear deterrent. When players or staff appear to encourage a spillover, it muddies the message for everyone.
Mixed messages from clubs and authorities
Truth is, inconsistency breeds contempt. If one side gets away with shepherding fans on to the pitch and there’s no meaningful censure from the league or club hierarchy, others will start to think it’s acceptable. That doesn’t excuse any part of our support who spill on to the turf, but it does explain why tensions escalate. Add in the rise of more extreme supporter groups on both sides and the fixture becomes a tinderbox rather than a celebration.
How to reduce the risk next time
Practical steps are obvious: firm, consistent policing at full-time, clear public condemnations when players or staff stoke the crowd, and sensible segregation choices for away allocations. If the 2,500 places allocated away are given to travelling supporters who aren’t attached to the ultras, the chance of trouble falls. Small measures can stop a bad situation from becoming a headline scandal.
At the end of the day I want the big nights back — safe, noisy and respectful. Nobody wants repeat scenes or the feeling that one set of fans can act with impunity. It’s up to clubs and the authorities to show they mean it, otherwise we’ll keep asking the same question after every derby.
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