Disabled Rangers fans had to rely on “pure luck” to avoid serious injury when some of their fellow supporters jumped on a shelter over their heads, causing it to collapse.
The shelter at Rugby Park caved in when Rangers fans jumped on to it to celebrate their side’s winning goal against Kilmarnock.
Rangers Disabled Supporters Club chairman Billy Paterson, who was underneath the shelter, says he was just inches from having his neck broken.
Billy branded the supporters involved “ignorant”
He said: “I was inside and underneath when it was going on.
“It was extremely fortunate that no-one got seriously injured. There was a young 16-year old severely disabled boy in there.”
(Image: Steve Welsh)
He added: “I got hit in the shoulder by the roof. It grazed me. A few inches away and it would have hit my head. It was the same with the others.
“If the roof had landed on our heads someone could have broken their neck. Those fans are completely ignorant.
“It is sheer ignorance by those who did this, but the fault here is the lack of stewarding that lets them do that game after game.
“You can’t behave like that at a football match on top of a shelter for disabled fans. Common decency tells you that.
“They should show a bit of respect. We are only there to watch the football the same as everybody else. It is extremely fortunate that nobody was seriously injured. It is pure luck.”
Supporters in wheelchairs were evacuated from inside the shelter area to watch the remainder of the game pitchside – with officers having to hold up the shattered roof as they made their escape.
Four men inside the stadium have been arrested on suspicion of breaching the peace and a probe has been launched into the pitch invasion.
(Image: Daily Record)
Billy claimed previous warnings about Rangers fans’ behaviour towards the disabled area went unheeded.
He said: “The only thing to prevent it is to deny access behind the wheelchair area.
“This isn’t the first time it has happened but there are problems every game with people battering and jumping on the roof.”
May Orr, who is in charge of the Away Disabled Supporters section at Rugby Park, added: “I don’t have any problems all year round. I only have it with Celtic and Rangers fans.
“The police had to hold the roof up to let the wheelchairs out.
“Those people were very shaken up.”
(Image: SNS Group)
Earlier, fans of the Ibrox side were left seething after missing the start of the match – and potentially missing the first goal.
Hundreds of fans were unable to enter Killie’s Rugby Park ground before kick-off with turnstiles failing to cope with their arrival.
The game kicked off at 1.30pm with the away section was looking depleted due to the number of fans outside the ground.
One Rangers supporter complained that fans of the Glasgow club were being treated like “cattle” despite having paid £27 per ticket.
Footage emerged of an emergency gate being opened allowing a swarm of fans to enter at around 1.45pm – with unconfirmed reports that Rangers fans from the inside were responsbile.
A spokeswoman for Police Scotland said: “An investigation is underway following a pitch incursion at the Kilmarnock vs Rangers game on Sunday, August 4.
“The incident resulted in the roof of a shelter being collapsed and one man was injured.
“He received medical attention at the ground.
“Enquiries are ongoing.”
