Heart of Midlothian have strongly criticised the scenes that unfolded at Celtic Park after the conclusion of the Scottish Premiership title race, describing the incidents as both “shameful” and “disgraceful”. The Edinburgh side said players and club staff were subjected to alarming treatment during the chaotic aftermath of Celtic’s championship-clinching victory.

Celtic secured a fifth straight league title after defeating Hearts 3-1 on the final day of the season. However, attention quickly shifted away from the result itself when large numbers of supporters entered the pitch moments after Callum Osmand netted Celtic’s third goal late in the match.

The invasion led to Hearts players being confronted and provoked as fans flooded the field. Sections of the home support inside the stadium could reportedly be heard booing those who ran onto the pitch.

Hearts Leave Pitch Before Full-Time

With stoppage time still remaining, the Hearts squad exited the field and the game was never restarted. The visitors later travelled directly back to Tynecastle Park under police escort amid safety concerns.

In an official statement released several hours after the match, Hearts condemned what they described as another deeply embarrassing episode for Scottish football.

“Heart of Midlothian utterly condemns the shameful scenes at Celtic Park this afternoon which have, once again, embarrassed Scottish football,” the club stated.

The statement also referenced reports of verbal and physical abuse directed at members of the club on and off the pitch. Hearts confirmed discussions were ongoing with Police Scotland while an internal investigation had begun.

According to the club, the atmosphere inside the stadium became threatening enough that staff decided to leave immediately rather than remain for scheduled media commitments.

“Hearts players and staff should never have been exposed to those circumstances,” the statement continued. “Our priority became ensuring everyone’s safety.”

The club added that confusion surrounded whether the match had officially ended after the pitch invasion interrupted proceedings.

Celtic Yet to Respond as O’Neill Addresses Incident

Nearly five hours after the final whistle, neither Celtic nor the Scottish Professional Football League had issued formal responses regarding the disturbances.

Celtic captain Callum McGregor downplayed the invasion in his immediate post-match comments, while manager Martin O’Neill admitted he had not initially realised Hearts players were allegedly targeted.

“I’m not pleading the fifth amendment, I just genuinely don’t know everything that happened,” O’Neill explained. “If Hearts players were accosted, then that’s clearly unacceptable.”

The Celtic manager revealed he believed the game still had time remaining and said he attempted to usher supporters away from the field during the confusion.

“There was a lot going on in the tunnel area,” he said. “It’s not something that should simply be brushed aside.”

O’Neill also explained that the fourth official informed him approximately one minute remained in stoppage time. However, once Hearts manager Derek McInnes shook his hand and congratulated him, he assumed the contest had effectively ended.

Hearts Supporters Welcome Team Home

Back in Edinburgh, Hearts supporters gathered to greet the players upon their return to Tynecastle. Despite narrowly missing out on a historic league triumph, fans applauded the squad after a season that pushed Celtic all the way in the title race.

The club had come agonisingly close to winning a first Scottish league championship since 1960. Scottish football has not seen a league winner outside of Celtic or Rangers since 1985.

Hearts also expressed disappointment that players were denied the opportunity to properly acknowledge travelling supporters after the final whistle.

“Our players were unable to thank our magnificent supporters for their backing throughout the afternoon and the entire campaign,” the statement read.

The Edinburgh side called on football authorities to take the strongest possible action in response to the events, insisting player and supporter safety must remain paramount while protecting the integrity of the sport.

Hearts Praise Team Despite Bitter Ending

Despite the painful conclusion to the campaign, Hearts praised the achievements of the squad and coaching staff after an impressive title challenge that captured attention beyond Scotland.

“This season has seen Hearts capture the imagination of football supporters not only across Scotland but internationally as well,” the club added.

Special praise was directed toward McInnes, his coaching team, the first-team squad and supporters, with Hearts insisting none deserved to witness the scenes that overshadowed the dramatic finale at Celtic Park.