A pro-Palestine activist delayed the closed-doors clash between Scotland and Israel women’s teams by chaining his neck to a goalpost at Hampden Park. The match was scheduled to kick off at 7:05 PM but was pushed to 7:35 PM due to the incident.
The SFA had previously announced the game would be played without fans following extensive security consultations. Hundreds of protesters gathered outside the stadium, chanting “stop the game” in response to the ongoing Middle East conflict. The activist, wearing a “Red Card For Israel” shirt, breached security by posing as a steward and made his way onto the field. Both teams initially took to the pitch but returned to the dressing rooms after the incident unfolded.
It took staff, using bolt cutters, 30 minutes to release the protester, who was then escorted off the field by police. The delay was met with cheers from the protesters outside. SunSport has contacted Police Scotland and the SFA for comments.