Celtic clinch record 56th title after beating Hearts 3-1 in Glasgow

Celtic turned a tense title decider into a historic celebration, beating Heart of Midlothian 3-1 at Celtic Park to claim a record 56th Scottish top-flight crown and move ahead of Rangers on total league titles. Daizen Maeda and substitute Callum Osmand struck late to complete the comeback, sealing Celtic’s fifth consecutive league title and their 14th in 15 seasons.

Hearts had arrived in Glasgow with a rare chance to end more than six decades of frustration. Derek McInnes’s side needed only a draw to win their first league title since 1960, and for much of the afternoon the scale of the moment hung over the match. Instead, Celtic found a way through in the closing stages, and the decisive goals sent the home support surging toward the pitch as the final whistle gave way to chaos.

The match never properly settled again after the invasion. Hearts said they left Celtic Park minutes after the defeat because of what they described as a “menacing and threatening” atmosphere inside the stadium, and condemned the “shameful scenes” that followed. The club said there were reports of serious verbal and physical abuse toward players and staff and called for strong action from football authorities while speaking to Police Scotland. Reports also said Hearts captain Lawrence Shankland was physically accosted during the pitch invasion and needed assistance from stewards.

The disorder did not stop at Celtic Park. Police Scotland had already closed roads in the Trongate area, including parts of the Gallowgate and London Road, and warned of major disruption and heavier-than-normal public transport use as thousands of fans gathered in Glasgow’s east end to celebrate. The scene shifted into the city centre later, where police were pelted with bottles and several arrests were reported as the title party moved through Trongate and Glasgow Cross.

The scale of the policing operation underlined how predictable the gathering was. Authorities knew the streets would fill, and the road closures showed preparation for a mass celebration. Yet the pitch invasion and the later clashes in the city centre exposed how quickly a championship moment can tip into a public-order failure, leaving police, transport services, nearby businesses and the clubs themselves to absorb the cost of celebrations that turned violent.