Motherwell and Hamilton Academical have both been sanctioned by the SPFL following incidents at their matches towards the end of the season. The Lanarkshire clubs have been fined and reprimanded for the use of pyrotechnics and pitch invasions.
Motherwell Sanctioned
Motherwell have been fined £2,500 and handed a suspended closure of the East Stand at Fir Park. The punishment follows the use of pyrotechnics and pitch incursions during their controversial 3-2 defeat to Celtic last month. That match saw Celtic awarded a 98th-minute penalty, which influenced the Premiership title race. Celtic have also been punished, with a suspended reduction of 100 tickets for an away match.
The SPFL's statement on Motherwell's sanction read: "Closure of Block E in the East Stand of Fir Park for one SPFL match, suspended until 30 June 2027, to be triggered by either (a) the orchestrated or excessively dangerous use of pyrotechnics by home fans or (b) a significant pitch incursion by home fans, in each case at a future home SPFL match."
At least five Motherwell and five Celtic supporters will be referred to the SPFL Trust’s recognised pyrotechnic awareness course as a result.
Hamilton Accies Punished
Hamilton Accies have been fined £1,000 after fans spilled onto the pitch at the Caledonian Stadium on May 2 during their match against Inverness Caledonian Thistle. The League One club has also received a formal warning and reprimand for supporters entering the field to celebrate avoiding relegation in the play-off final win over Clyde on May 15 at Broadwood Stadium.
An SPFL spokesperson said: “Supporters entering the field of play in any circumstances is wholly unacceptable and puts players, fans and match officials at significant risk of physical harm. The use of pyrotechnics at matches is illegal and highly dangerous.
“The SPFL has been repeatedly clear that there is no place for this behaviour in Scottish football. We will continue to work together with stakeholders, including the Scottish FA, Police Scotland and Scottish Government, to address challenges surrounding unacceptable conduct at matches.”
Other Games Under Scrutiny
Games including Celtic v Hearts on May 16 – the Premiership title decider that ended in chaos – and Stenhousemuir's League One clinching match against Alloa Athletic on the same day were also included in the list of fixtures facing disciplinary action for similar offences.
