AROUND 60,000 football fans will converge on Celtic Park tomorrow as the third Old Firm league match of the season gets under way.
And while extra manpower will be draft in to manage the major event, Police Scotland is calling on an extra resource - horsepower.
The Herald joined Police Scotland’s Mounted Unit as they underwent rigorous training ahead of tomorrow’s Old Firm so that the horses are equipped with the skills to deal with every eventuality at such a large event.
The squad of 20 horses will be dispersed to the city from their home at a farm in Stewarton for the Celtic v Rangers match at Parkhead.
Supporters from both sides will see the horses surrounding the East End stadium while the rest of the city will spot Mounted Unit officers on patrol in the wider area.
With a key role in one of the city’s biggest policing operations, the horses have been put through their paces in order to bolster public safety at the Old Firm and other large-scale events.
Inspector Leigh McManus, who is in charge of both dog and mounted units at Police Scotland, explained that the horses assist officers with public engagement and order as well as crowd control.
He said: “My officers tell me it is an advantage for them to be up on a horse.
“They have a better view of the crowd and what is going on.
“This is often reported back to the match commander.”
Sergeant Alan Gilbert added: “We would probably be the first people to shout in if we could see a disturbance or a crushing issue. We highlight any safety issues.”
Before any big event, the Mounted Unit has to be prepared.
For football matches such as the Old Firm, the horses are tested to deal with every type of incident that they could possibly encounter.
The animals, which have to be a minimum size of over 16.2 hands, are trained to walk over polythene type material so that they become used to it.
This represents litter which could be strewn around the stadium as fans make their way to and from the match.
As the Evening Times watched the horses train, they were initially frightened by the material below their hoofs. But with practice, they settled in.
With many supporters taking flags or banners to games, the horses are also trained to build up resistance to these.
A Union flag and Scotland flag was waved in the horses’ path to get them used to the material and movement.
A drum, similar to one used in a marching band, was also played to add in the noise element of match days.
Sergeant Gilbert, who is a trainer at the Mounted Unit, also said that flares have been set off so that the animals could get used to them - although supporters were warned that they are banned from the stadium.
Inspector McManus said: “The Mounted Unit is an absolutely fantastic resource.
“Not many people are going to fight with a horse if you need to put a cordon into a crowd.”
He added: "We could police football without horses but it would be a lot more difficult to do that.”
Aside from the Old Firm, the Mounted Unit have a strong operational role within Police Scotland.
The horses, which are named after Scottish places, can be dispatched to crime hotspots.
They can assist with other large-scale events such as music festivals.
The animals can also be used in the search of missing people.
In Glasgow, the Mounted Unit were recently used after the attempted murder of Ross Monaghan outside St George’s Primary School in Penilee.
Following the botched shooting back in January, the horses visited pupils at the school to take their mind off the large police presence.
It is this sort of engagement that makes the unit popular with the community.
The horses are so popular that many supporters even turn up at football matches with apples or carrots to feed them.
Sergeant Gilbert joked that the animals often recognised the supporters as they knew they had got food from them before.
Inspector McManus said: “All my officers love what they do and are passionate about what they do.”
He added: “They are well thought of throughout both Police Scotland and the communities.”
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