A Rangers supporter has been sentenced to 18 months in prison after attacking a Celtic staff member during a pitch invasion at Ibrox on 8 March 2026. Marc Spence, 48, grabbed first team masseur Allan Baird and pulled him to the ground as fans from both clubs flooded onto the pitch following a Scottish Cup quarter-final match. According to BBC News, Sheriff Owen Mullan described Spence's behaviour as appalling and ruled that imprisonment was justified.
The match ended in a goalless draw, with Celtic progressing on penalties. Spence, from Lanark in South Lanarkshire, was observed by police officers running aggressively from the south stand towards Celtic supporters who had entered the pitch. Prosecutor Abbas Ali outlined how Baird, concerned about Spence's trajectory towards the Celtic team, positioned himself in the supporter's path. Spence collided with the masseur, seized him by the neck, and forced him to the ground before two police officers intervened and removed him from the pitch in handcuffs.
While being escorted away, Spence stated:
I was trying to get past the guy - he stood in my way and I just took him out.
Spence, a Bacardi warehouse operative and former SFA-accredited youth football coach, pleaded guilty last month to assault and breach of the peace. His defence counsel, Darren Fleming, argued that Spence was not an instigator but acknowledged making a deliberate choice to become involved. Fleming told the court:
He witnessed fans of the opposition damaging seats in the stadium and felt that he could perhaps assist. In hindsight, he knows that it was a reckless decision.
What did the sheriff say about Spence's conduct?
Sheriff Mullan emphasised the seriousness of Spence's actions, noting his background as a youth football coach meant he should understand professional standards and the expectations placed on supporters. The sheriff stated:
Your behaviour was appalling and witnessed in the stadium and on national television. There is little doubt that there were children who saw your actions across Scotland.
The sheriff expressed concern that despite Spence's guilty plea and evidence captured on CCTV, the background report indicated he continued to downplay his conduct and the gravity of the charges. However, Fleming disputed this characterisation, asserting that Spence fully accepted the extent of his actions. The sheriff noted a significant omission:
What is noteworthy, is nowhere in the background report to you seek to expressly apologise to your victim.
In addition to the custodial sentence, Spence received a lifetime ban from Ibrox Stadium and was prohibited from attending football matches for seven-and-a-half years.
What was the wider context of disorder at the match?
The pitch invasion on 8 March 2026 was part of broader disorder surrounding the Old Firm fixture. BBC News reported that a separate Rangers supporter was jailed for 16 months for encouraging the pitch invasion, with Spence's sentencing deferred until the following month. By 25 August, BBC Sport noted that police had made 43 arrests in connection with the disorder, and an independent review warned the incident came close to escalating into a violent mass confrontation.
Both Rangers and Celtic faced SFA disciplinary charges following the match. According to BBC Sport, the clubs' appeals against sanctions were partially upheld, requiring both to play their next home Scottish Cup tie behind closed doors and pay £100,000 to the visiting club, though suspended additional sanctions were removed. These restrictions apply when the clubs enter the current season's Scottish Cup competition.
What did the independent review find?
An independent investigation into the disorder identified failings by both clubs and criticised the SFA's response to crowd disturbances, calling for stronger sanctions to prevent future incidents of this nature.
Key Facts
- Marc Spence, 48, was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment for assaulting Celtic masseur Allan Baird during a pitch invasion on 8 March 2026
- Spence received a lifetime ban from Ibrox Stadium and a seven-and-a-half-year ban from attending football matches
- Police made 43 arrests in connection with disorder at the match by 25 August 2026
- Both Rangers and Celtic must play their next home Scottish Cup ties behind closed doors as part of disciplinary sanctions
- A separate Rangers supporter was jailed for 16 months for encouraging the pitch invasion
