Celtic goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo has called for action after being struck by a missile at Ibrox and targeted with “30-40” objects.
Sinisalo was struck on the leg and left wondering what would have happened if a glass bottle had hit him.
Photographs showed a half bottle of wine lying in his penalty box during Celtic’s 1-1 draw with Rangers last Sunday.
“I see some mention that there was a bottle thrown at me,” the Finland international said. “But it wasn’t just a bottle, by the way.
“First of all, I was hit with something. Not in my upper body, somewhere in my lower leg. It wasn’t a bottle, there was lighters, vapes, coins, mugs, all sorts flying.
“When you think of it, let’s say that glass bottle that was on the pitch hits me or hits someone else, what happens then? What if it hits you in the eye and you can’t play football after that? What happens then? That’s the questions that we need answers for.
“And I know it’s not the first time it’s happened. I was there when Arne (Engels) was hit with something. Greg (Taylor)’s been hit. Joe Hart’s been hit. Staff members have been hit.”
Sinisalo is not sure what hit him.
“My bottle was right by their fans and I’ve gone to have a drink and obviously not facing them because I don’t know what’s happening, what’s getting thrown at me,” he said.
“I don’t know. It wasn’t something big because it wasn’t a big impact or anything like that. I expect probably a vape or something.”
Three years ago the same fixture was held up when Hart found broken glass in his goalmouth. A Rangers fan was later jailed for a year after hitting Celtic physio Danny Friel with a bottle.
Missiles have come from other areas of the ground. Engels was struck by a coin in January and last season a glass bottle was thrown at Matt O’Riley while coins were thrown into Celtic’s technical area.
Footage showed a number of missiles being thrown at Rangers players at Celtic Park in March as they celebrated Hamza Igamane’s late winner.
Sinisalo said: “I don’t know how people identify who it is because there’s a lot of people obviously throwing them. I’m talking 30, 40 objects here, that was on the pitch. It’s not just one individual.
“I can’t say what needs to be done and what should be done. It’s up to the authorities and the club there. Like I said, I’m just glad I never got hit because things could be bad if you do get hit and you’re a bit unlucky.
“You don’t think that when you’re on the pitch, but when you see the pictures of the bottle and you go back in the changing room and think, what if it did hit? I’m glad it didn’t because it could have been bad.
“Listen. it’s not nice. No one wants it. I’m just trying to do my job. There’s not many jobs in the world where you get a bottle thrown at you.
“I’d like to think that something should be done, but that’s not for me to say what it is.”
Sinisalo did not let the flying objects affect him during the game.
“You’re very much in the zone,” the 23-year-old said. “You’re probably hoping that they stop it eventually, trying to not give them anything back, I suppose.
“It doesn’t really affect you. It’s not nice, but you try and focus on the game. It’s such an important game. There’s so much at stake every time you play a game like that.
“So you can’t really let that affect you because that’s what the people want. They want that to affect you, which I’m glad to say that it didn’t.”
