Kick-off for the women’s Euro 2025 qualifier between Scotland and Israel in Glasgow on Friday was delayed by more than 30 minutes after protesters escaped security at Hampden Park and chained themselves to the goalposts.
Friday’s match in Glasgow and the “return match” in Hungary on June 4 will both be played behind closed doors.
The decision comes against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Gaza.
But on Friday, amid pro-Palestinian protests outside the Scottish National Stadium, it emerged that someone had entered the arena and clung to one of Hampden’s goalposts with a heavy-looking chain around their neck, just before the scheduled 18:05 GMT kick-off.
Protesters wearing “Red Card for Israel” T-shirts were eventually removed before both teams took to the field for the second warm-up, with the match eventually kicking off at 18:36 GMT.
Campaigners, including Scotland’s Friends of Palestine, protested outside the stadium and criticised the Scottish Football Association’s decision to allow the match to go ahead as an attempt to “whitewash” Israel.
The SFA previously said: “Following the latest information and extensive security consultation with all key stakeholders, the Scottish Football Association regretfully announces that the Scotland v Israel qualifier, scheduled to be held at Hampden Park on 31 May, will go ahead behind closed doors.”
“The stadium operations team has been alerted to the possibility of planned disruption to the match and as a result will have no option but to play the game without supporters in attendance.”
The Gaza conflict began with a Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7 which resulted in 1,189 deaths, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.
Militants also took 252 hostages, of which 121 remain in Gaza, and the army said 37 were killed.
The health ministry in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip said Israel’s retaliatory strikes had killed at least 36,284 people, most of them civilians.
Judge/EA
