Lawrence Shankland is shown holding a lighter that hit him during last month’s Hearts vs. Hibs game at Tynecastle.
A number of justifications have been put forth to mitigate the apparent increase in inappropriate behavior in Scottish football.
pent-up, post-Covid frustrations, the contemporary social and political context, and the rise of the ultras culture.
Whatever the reason, the game’s age-old issues are still present along with a few brand-new ones.
Not much has changed in terms of trying to fix them either.
The advances in football governance have been summits and working groups.
The police have been warning people to get tough, and the Scottish government attempted to do so with the much-maligned Offensive Behaviour at Football Act, but it was unsuccessful.
Hibernian has recently announced that they will cut back on the amount of away tickets they provide for specific games; similar to other teams in previous years, they are manipulating figures.
Less fans ought to equal less opportunity for trouble and a higher likelihood of apprehending those who still cause it.
Broken seats in the away end during Motherwell and Celtic’s thrilling Premiership match at Fir Park in February
However, Hibs’ annoyance has forced them to think about strict liability, something that Scottish football has consistently opposed.
Under this approach, clubs may face consequences for the misbehavior of their supporters.
UEFA, the European regulatory body, has the authority to impose fines, remove points, and even close stadiums as necessary to administer the system in its championships.
Hibs will present their case at the association’s annual rule review, as requested by the SFA, even though they are aware that the SPFL and the governing body are not enthusiastic.
They are aware that the majority of clubs are willing to accept the loss and offer evidence that they made every effort to avoid it.
The police want more action from them, and that is what both governing bodies want to see happen.
The Scottish government looks on, sour from its past engagement and generally indifferent, expecting that football will resolve itself.
Hibs will now have to attempt where others have failed.
They will require support from others if they truly decide that enough is enough.