POLICE are probing reports that organised English football hooligans plan to create trouble around the League Cup semi-finals in Glasgow.

The officer charged with policing the Hampden fixture involving Celtic and Rangers said Police Scotland was aware of online reports about groups of fans travelling north. Chief Superintendent Andy Bates said the force was monitoring online traffic but that so far no arrests had been made as a result of scouring social media and forums.

Police Scotland would not confirm or deny whether it had been in contact with the Metropolitan Police or any other English forces but said it was "normal practice" to do so around high profile games.

Sources said casuals associated with Chelsea and at least one other English team are travelling to Glasgow for the weekend intent on violence around the first Old Firm game in almost three years.

According to the sources, the hooligans intend gathering in pubs in the south side before Sunday's lunchtime kick-off and intend on creating trouble at pubs frequented by Celtic fans in and around the Gallowgate area.

Pubs in the vicinity, just east of the city centre, have been targeted by English casuals after Old Firm clashes in the past.

Sunday's fixture, the first between Celtic and Rangers since April 2012, has had a tense build up and comes against a unique set of circumstances after the Ibrox club was liquidated and forced to start again from Scottish football's lower leagues.

It is the first game between the two sides since the introduction of the Offensive Behaviour at Football Act, brought in amid the fall-out of the so-called 'Old Firm Shame Game' of 2011.

Throughout the week there have been reports officers have been learning the content of songs sung by either side should they fall foul of the act, while extra officers will be on duty specifically to tackle an anticipated upsurge in domestic violence.

Asked if he was aware of the reports online suggesting groups of fans from elsewhere, including Chelsea, were intending to come up to cause problems, Chief Superintendent Bates said: "There is always the potential for supporters to travel from elsewhere.

"We are monitoring that. We have intelligence-led policing with the purpose of preventing disorder in the first place.

"We look to identify potential troublemakers and disrupt any plans they might have."

A Police Scotland spokeswoman said: "It is normal practice at high profile matches to liaise with other police forces and agencies."

One source said: "The online chat and among those familiar with this subculture is that this is very real. It's not like Chelsea in particular haven't been up to Glasgow in the past.

"The cops might look a bit daft if they're focusing on songs and if a flag is flammable and it's kicking off somewhere. You'd expect they have it covered though."

Meanwhile, Scottish Labour said it would continue to oppose the Offensive Behaviour Act, regardless of the conduct of fans on Sunday.

The party has been against the Act since it was passing through Scottish Parliament, with new leader Jim Murphy re-emphasising the party's opposition.

A Scottish Labour spokesman said: "The Football Act is widely recognised as a flawed piece of legislation and it is not fit for purpose. The courts clearly are not convinced by it. Existing legislation if applied could have achieved the same if not better results and that's why Scottish Labour wants to see the legislation scrapped.

"Scottish Labour's concerns around the Football Act isn't about one football fixture, but the entire culture of sectarianism and intolerance in Scotland. The fact of the matter is that bigotry goes far beyond 90 minutes at the football, and we believe tackling sectarianism in the classroom and in our communities is the more effective approach."