Join thousands of fans who have signed up to our Celtic newsletter. Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

POLICE yesterday launched a series of dawn raids against thugs who disgraced Scottish football at the Fir Park shame game.

Two men were arrested as officers warned the yobs responsible for appalling scenes at the Motherwell-Celtic match: “We’re coming to get you over Christmas.”

The police chief leading the investigation said they planned to swoop on the homes of a further 20 fans.

And Superintendent Glen Bland warned there could be many more.

He said: “This is just phase one. It is an ongoing operation and it will continue over Christmas.”

A Motherwell and a Celtic fan, aged 16 and 23, were arrested in yesterday’s early morning raids in Lanarkshire and Glasgow.

Celtic fans at the December 6 match let off smoke bombs and flares. Two smoke bombs were thrown on to the pitch.

Renegade Hoops supporters, sitting next to a Green Brigade banner, ripped up 200 seats in the South Stand.

And police were forced to separate fans from both clubs outside the stadium as they tried to fight each other.

Detectives have been examining CCTV footage, TV coverage and internet video of the carnage, as well as taking statements from ordinary fans disgusted by the hooligans’ behaviour.

Officers had already arrested five supporters from both clubs, aged 16 to 21, and two suspects have appeared in court.

But yesterday marked the start of a new chapter in the operation.

Supt Bland said: “We are looking at both camps and we will not tolerate this sort of criminal behaviour.

“The majority of fans are decent, hard-working people. We are looking at 20 people at the moment but we are still trying to identify others who were involved.”

Celtic condemned the Fir Park scenes and suspended 128 supporters from all their games in response.

The club also effectively disbanded the Green Brigade by cancelling the season tickets of 250 fans in Section 111 at Parkhead and offering them seats elsewhere.

The club were fined £42,000 by UEFA last week for a Green Brigade banner display linking William Wallace and IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands.

The stunt at last month’s Champions League game with AC Milan was the latest in a series of protests by the “ultras” group.