Celtic snatched the Scottish Premiership title from Hearts in the dying minutes of the season on Saturday, scoring two late goals to earn a 3-1 win and a 14th title in 15 years — before things descended into bedlam.
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Needing a win to usurp the Jambos at the top of the table, Celtic came from behind to deny Hearts a first title in 66 years.
The Jambos were within minutes of ending the stranglehold on the Scottish game exerted by Rangers and Celtic, which now extends to 41 years.
Celtic fans invaded the pitch in celebration after Callum Osmand’s third goal deep into stoppage time and Hearts condemned “shameful scenes” that they say embarrassed Scottish football.
Hearts left Celtic Park minutes after full-time with players still in their kit and without doing post-match media duties.
“Heart of Midlothian utterly condemns the shameful scenes at Celtic Park this afternoon which have, once again, embarrassed Scottish football,” Hearts said in a statement.
“Reports of serious physical and verbal abuse towards our players and staff, both on the pitch and elsewhere, are deeply disturbing.”
Hearts captain Lawrence Shankland was in the firing line, with claims he was punched by a Celtic fan. He also had a confrontation in which an elated Celtic supporter waved hands in his face, and the Hearts skipper shoved him angrily away.
Derek McInnes’ men took the lead when Shankland headed home a corner in the 43rd minute.
Celtic rallied to level before the break courtesy of an Arne Engels penalty. Hearts resisted during an incredibly tense second half until three minutes from time, when Daizen Maeda bundled in and the goal was awarded after a VAR review for offside.
Osmand was then able to walk the ball in to the net with the final kick of the game after Hearts goalkeeper Alexander Schwolow came forward in the hunt for an equaliser.
“I genuinely can’t believe it, it’s like a dream,” said Celtic boss Martin O’Neill, 74, who twice returned on an interim basis this season, two decades after his first spell in charge. “I’m absolutely ecstatic.”
Defeat was another devastating blow in Hearts’ quest for a first league title since 1960.
Not since Rangers got the better of Aberdeen 35 years ago had the top two faced off for the title on the final day of a Scottish season.
Hearts boss McInnes said he expected “bedlam” with the visiting support less than 1,000 of the 60,000-capacity crowd at Celtic Park.
But the visitors dampened the atmosphere as McInnes’ gameplan worked a treat early on.
With so much on the line, the first half was frenetic and short on quality but Hearts took a crucial lead.
Celtic goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo got caught under Stephen Kingsley’s corner and Shankland headed in at the far post.
The days before the match had been dominated by the fallout from a controversial late penalty that handed Celtic victory at Motherwell on Wednesday to keep O’Neill’s men in the race.
McInnes branded that decision “disgusting”, but there were few protests when Hearts conceded a penalty in first-half stoppage time.
Kieran Tierney’s cross hit Alexandros Kyziridis’s outstretched hand just inside the area.
Engels’ spot-kick squeezed under Schmolow to give Celtic hope. The introduction of Kelechi Iheanacho finally gave Celtic some cutting edge in the second half as they hemmed Hearts in.
Iheanacho struck the base of the post and Schwolow tipped over Benjamin Nygren’s drive as the pressure built.
The dam finally burst when Maeda turned in Osmand’s ball only for the flag to briefly halt Celtic celebrations but VAR again came to the Hoops’ aid.
Replays showed Maeda in an offside position when Marcelo Saracchi played in the ball from down the left flank — but Osmand received the ball before playing it back to Maeda. Hearts may have protested that Maeda was still involved in the play while offside, but the decision was made.
Osmand then rubbed salt in the wounds for McInnes’ men by bursting clear from inside his own half to roll into an unguarded net.
‘SHAMEFUL SCENES’
The final goal sparked a pitch invasion, meaning shattered Hearts players, confronted by fans, had to be escorted down the tunnel to safety.
The visitors boarded their team bus still in their kit moments later to make the sobering trek back to Edinburgh.
Hearts issued a strongly worded statement on the ugly scenes at the end of the game later Saturday.
“Heart of Midlothian utterly condemns the shameful scenes at Celtic Park this afternoon which have, once again, embarrassed Scottish football,” the club said.
“Reports of serious physical and verbal abuse towards our players and staff, both on the pitch and elsewhere, are deeply disturbing.
“We are investigating this fully and are in dialogue with Police Scotland. We will make no further comment at this time other than to say that it is completely unacceptable that our players and staff were put in that situation.”
Hearts said they had no choice but to flee Celtic Park due to the “menacing and threatening atmosphere inside the stadium”.
The Edinburgh club said it was even unclear whether the match had finished amid the chaos.
“Our players were then denied the opportunity to thank our magnificent fans — sensational to a person — for their backing this afternoon and all season long,” the statement added.
“We expect the strongest action possible to be taken by the footballing authorities.”
As Celtic fans celebrated a fifth straight Scottish league triumph, Police Scotland said Saturday evening its officers were “responding to disorder” in Glasgow’s Trongate area.
“Officers went into the crowd to assist with a medical emergency and were faced with significant levels of hostility, with bottles and other missiles thrown at them,” the force said in a brief statement.
“Decisive action is now being taken to disperse those gathered. For safety reasons, all members of the public are being asked to leave the area,” it added.
Photographs and videos from the scene showed lines of officers with riot shields trying to control the crowds after bottles and other missiles were reportedly thrown.
Fans turned out in huge numbers at Tynecastle to welcome back Hearts players.
Australia’s Cameron Devlin, Frankie Kent, Stuart Findlay and Jamie McCart were all seen in tears after coming off the team bus.
Hearts had sat atop the Scottish Premiership for 226 days, since the start of October, only to miss out on their first title in 66 years on the final day.
Originally published as Wild pitch invasion as Celtic snatch title and Hearts players flee stadium after ugly ‘abuse’
