A crime photographer with decades of experience covering some of the UK’s most violent public disorder has described the Celtic-related Trongate scenes as the “scariest” incident he has ever witnessed.
Brian Anderson, 55, a veteran photographer who has documented major unrest including London riots, the 2007 G8 summit clashes in Rostock, and the 2008 Manchester UEFA Cup disorder, says nothing compared to what he saw during Celtic’s title celebrations in Glasgow on May 16.
Speaking to the Daily Record, Anderson said the situation quickly spiralled out of control.
“I was in the middle of a war zone,” he said, describing widespread chaos as crowds clashed with police and missiles were thrown.
He claimed the environment was so volatile that he was subjected to abuse while trying to document the scenes unfolding around him.
One of the most serious moments he described involved a young woman being struck and knocked unconscious during the disorder.
“A girl was lying on the deck. I saw her being struck by a flying bottle,” he said, adding that the object was allegedly thrown during the chaotic scenes involving supporters and police.
He said a bystander rushed to help her and carried her toward a police cordon for medical assistance.
Anderson also revealed that he himself was injured during the incident, saying glass pierced his boot and cut his foot as he attempted to move away from the area due to safety concerns.
He did not hold back in his description of the violence, calling those involved “mindless maniacs” and describing bottles flying through the air as he tried to avoid being hit.
The incident has already been widely reported to have left police officers injured, with emergency response teams deployed as disorder spread through parts of Glasgow city centre. Multiple arrests were also made following the unrest.
Anderson compared the scenes to previous major incidents he has covered, including the Manchester UEFA Cup final disorder in 2008, saying that while the scale may have been different, the danger level was just as intense due to the unpredictability of the crowd.
“I had to hide under a bin lid in Manchester,” he recalled. “This was up there with that — very dangerous.”
The wider fallout from the incident continues to grow, with authorities and football bodies already condemning the violence and investigations ongoing.
At the heart of it, the photographer’s account paints a disturbing picture of chaos that went far beyond football celebrations — one he insists was the most frightening of his career.
