A Hearts player has spoken out after being caught up in the appalling scenes as Celtic won the Scottish Premier League title
Hearts players left the Celtic Park pitch bloodied, according to Jambos star Christian Borchgrevink. The title decider descended into mayhem after Celtic supporters stormed the pitch following their third goal deep into stoppage time, as they beat Hearts to seal the most dramatic of their 56 championship victories.
A number of Hearts players became embroiled in confrontations with home fans, with a club statement subsequently revealing there were “reports of serious physical and verbal abuse towards our players and staff, both on the pitch and elsewhere.”
Norwegian midfielder Borchgrevink, who was an unused substitute, has become the first Hearts player to give a first-hand account of the post-match disorder. Borchgrevink said: “It was complete chaos.
“Before we had time to gather our wits, we saw that some of our key players were being surrounded. It was hard to take in everything that was happening.
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“People were getting worried. I was on the bench and we ran out to shield the others. Everyone eventually made it back in unharmed, though with a bit of blood here and there.
READ MORE: Hearts make clear demand in furious statement after players ‘assaulted’ in Celtic chaosREAD MORE: Celtic vs Hearts ‘abandoned game’ theory as unseen referee action explained during chaos
“At that point, we didn’t even know if the match had been called for full time yet and we were escorted off. Only then were we told the match was over and by then it was just a matter of getting away and onto the bus quickly.
“We haven’t had a chance to take stock yet. Everyone was fine, and then it was a matter of checking on family and supporters and they’re all fine too, as far as I know. So we’ve been standing here trying to take stock.”
The former Valerenga defender, who managed just five league appearances for Derek McInnes’ side throughout the season, conceded the loss was utterly heartbreaking for Hearts.
Speaking to the media in his home country, he went on to say: “First and foremost, it’s brutal that we were in the lead for so long and lost it at the finish line. And that’s what we’re left with now.”
Hearts have issued a statement regarding the scenes, describing them as “shameful” and calling for “the strongest possible action” from authorities.
Former Hearts player Ryan Stevenson maintained “a line had been crossed” at Celtic Park, telling BBC Sportscene: “You understand the elation and you understand some fans at some stage getting on the pitch, as much as we don’t like to see it.
“But there is a line. If players are standing there and players are intimidating them, or getting up close and personal to them, you can’t do that. There has to be a line that we know that we do not cross, and unfortunately I do think we crosses it today.”
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