Hugh Keevins: Anarchy is not an option of football

The point at which fans of any club come on to the pitch to attack rival players is the point of no return. The game is dead when we reach that anarchic state.

That's why we can cut through the various calls for independent inquiries, the apparent need to drag Scotland's First Minister into the debate which has followed Saturday's Scottish Cup final and all of the other sideshows running as a consequence of the scenes of mayhem at Hampden.

If players aren't safe on the field of play then we're finished. That is the bottom line.

And that's why Hibs will need to take whatever punishment comes their way as a consequence of the wanton damage and premeditated violence witnessed at the National Stadium.

If they were to be banned from next season's Scottish Cup by order of the SFA then they could hardly complain.

High emotion in the wake of a stunning finish to an outstanding game of football is understandable. But the sea of humanity who invaded the field and provoked a reaction from some Rangers supporters can't be tolerated.

Police Scotland will investigate what went on and how it was handled. They, in turn, will have their response to the pitch invasion examined. The Holyrood parliament will need to get involved because Nicola Sturgeon has been personally criticised in a statement released by Rangers.

Would anyone now care to contradict my opinion, frequently expressed on Superscoreboard, that Scottish football runs on malice?

If Rangers' manager Mark Warburton was considering getting out of Scottish football altogether on the same day that Brendan Rodgers arrives to find an ecstatic welcome for him at Celtic Park then who could blame him?

The look on Warburton's face and the shaking of his head as he made his way up the tunnel after watching several of his players and his assistant manager, Davie, Weir, come under attack at time-up spoke volumes.

What football man wants to work in such a hostile environment when he could get decent offers from elsewhere?

It was, for the game in general, a tragic defeat snatched from the jaws of victory.

On Saturday afternoon we had the satisfaction of knowing that our game could still entice men of Rodgers' calibre and enjoyed the sense of anticipation over what next season would be like when Rodgers and Warburton went head to head for the Premiership title.

We then had a magnificent, goal-laden game of football that provided a spectacle more than worthy of the occasion at Hampden.

But the history-making nature of that occasion was sullied beyond belief by rioting and violence of a type that will have widespread ramifications.

There will now be no attempt to repeal the thirty-six year old Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act preventing alcohol from being consumed by supporters as part of their match-day experience.

And how will fans be able to say that they're fed up being criminalised at football matches when we are still capable of having such a mass outbreak of disorder as was able to be witnessed at Hampden on Saturday evening?

It is at times like these that we need wise heads to prevail and strong leadership to come to the fore.

Hibs' chairman Rod Petrie was woefully lacking when it came to providing statesmanlike qualities in the immediate aftermath of Saturday's shameful scenes.

The Scottish FA's Chief Executive, Stewart Regan, spoke the right, condemnatory, words while his head was still spinning from looking on in horror at the pitch invasion and imagining its consequences. But who would envy him his task now as he tries to achieve the correct balance in terms of the punishment that needs to be meted out?

Whatever he and his office bearers do, they will be criticised and accused of favouring somebody or other because of an ulterior motive. That is how Scottish football works as well.

But the bottom line, the unarguable point to be made, is this; If players aren't safe from the fear of personal attack when they are on the pitch then there is no game left. That much must surely be blatantly obvious to all.

We can't fence fans in because we have tragic reasons why that practice is unsafe. Can we appeal to supporters' better nature and have them accept that they were undeniably in the wrong at Hampden?

Can they accept that what they did in Hibs' name will see their club pay for the actions of those who are supposed to hold that name in high regard?

Whether they can be reasonable in retrospect or not, punishment will be severe. It can be no other way due to the seriousness of what took place to mar the occasion and blacken the reputation of Scottish football.

In the meantime, Rodgers' arrival will be a welcome distraction of a positive nature. Season ticket sales at Celtic Park will now go through the roof caused by the excitement created by the appointment of the former Liverpool manager.

He will also realise that he hasn't been offered eye-watering money in wages just to be dominant in Scotland. That much will be expected of him. The big bucks are for restoring Celtic's reputation in Europe.

But, for the moment, joy will be unconfined and tonight at Celtic Park there will be scenes of hysteria as Brendan is formally un-veiled as the club's manager.

It is a bold, imaginative move on a scale un-equalled since Martin O'Neill arrived at the ground sixteen years ago.

Now Rodgers must justify his £45,000 per week as well as handle the peculiar demands of living in a city like Glasgow. A city like no other.

The game's rulers, meanwhile, will need to find wisdom and be calm in the face of the onslaught which will follow the weekend's events. Allowing them and whoever they may bring in from the outside world to assist them in their deliberations a restrained environment in which to go about their business would be a help.

It is also a forlorn hope.