Former referee chief Keith Hackett reveals Celtic punishment stance after Hearts incident

Former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA referee Keith Hackett believes the Scottish FA could consider imposing a points deduction on Celtic after supporters invaded the pitch during the dramatic clash with Hearts on Saturday.

Hackett, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, argued that previous punishments handed down for similar incidents have failed to act as an effective deterrent, raising the possibility that stronger sanctions may now be explored.

The pitch invasion came just weeks after disorderly scenes followed Celtic’s Scottish Cup final win over Rangers in March, an incident that had already placed the club under scrutiny and led to warnings over possible disciplinary action.

Emotions boiled over at Celtic Park after Daizen Maeda looked to have sealed a dramatic late victory with an 87th-minute strike on 16 May, before Callum Osmand added a third goal deep into stoppage time. The dramatic finish sparked wild celebrations among home supporters, who flooded onto the pitch in scenes that left Hearts devastated after their title hopes were crushed.

Hackett believes Scottish football authorities now face a major decision over how to respond, insisting that stronger preventative measures are required to stop repeat incidents. He suggested the Scottish FA should work closely with Celtic to improve crowd control, including increasing security around the perimeter of the pitch to stop supporters from gaining access to the field of play.

However, he also warned that financial punishments alone have not proven effective in changing fan behaviour. According to Hackett, the governing body may now begin considering harsher disciplinary measures if such invasions continue.

Among the possible sanctions he highlighted were forcing Celtic to play matches behind closed doors with no supporters in attendance or, in a more severe scenario, introducing the possibility of a points deduction. Hackett stressed that the authorities cannot ignore situations where the safety of players and match officials may have been put at risk.

The chaos surrounding the pitch invasion also created uncertainty over the match ending itself, with confusion inside the stadium over whether referee Don Robertson had actually blown the final whistle. Celtic had effectively secured victory after scoring into an empty net while Hearts pushed forward in search of an equaliser, but the immediate rush of fans onto the pitch prevented any normal conclusion to proceedings.

Hackett admitted the circumstances made it difficult to determine exactly what had happened in the closing moments but defended Robertson’s handling of the situation. He suggested the referee would likely have preferred to restart the game briefly before officially ending it, yet the disorder left him with little alternative.

In Hackett’s view, the scale of the pitch invasion made it impossible for Robertson to regain control of the match safely, with supporters spreading across large areas of the stadium. He added that Scottish FA officials present at Celtic Park will now be tasked with reviewing the events and deciding what action, if any, should follow.