Celtic Face ULTIMATE Punishment After Hearts Carnage As Former Referee Boss Demands HISTORIC Points Deduction!

Celtic Could Face Points Deduction Next Season Following Pitch Invasion

The Scottish FA may wait until the start of the 2026-27 campaign to impose a penalty on Celtic after another chaotic pitch invasion at Celtic Park.

Former FIFA referee and ex-PGMOL chief Keith Hackett has suggested that a points deduction is far more likely than ordering a replay of the recent match against Hearts.

The incident unfolded on Saturday, May 16, when fans rushed onto the pitch immediately after Callum Osmand netted Celtic’s third goal. That strike effectively snatched the Scottish Premiership title away from Derek McInnes’ side. Despite leading the league for 250 days, Hearts fell short on the final day, losing 3-1. But the controversy is far from over.

Replay Called “Impossible”

Hackett believes the Scottish FA will move quickly to review the situation but acknowledges the complexity of the case.

“The fans came onto the pitch when they believed the game had ended,” Hackett told Football Insider. “Was that actually the case? The normal protocol is to restart play after a goal. Officials need to clarify whether the match was formally ended—and how that decision was made—or whether the pitch invasion itself forced the stoppage.”

If referee Don Robertson never officially blew the final whistle, the Scottish FA will face a tricky dilemma. Hackett dismissed a replay as impractical, noting that many players will already be traveling internationally for the off-season.

Instead, he expects the governing body to lean toward a points deduction applied at the beginning of next season as the most fitting punishment.

Previous Warnings for Celtic

This isn’t the first pitch invasion by Celtic supporters in 2026. A similar incident occurred in March following their Scottish Cup quarter-final win over Rangers at Ibrox.

At the time, Hackett voiced serious concerns and proposed either a points deduction or partial stadium closures as remedies. Now, a points deduction is firmly back in play. While Celtic fans celebrated a dramatic title-clinching victory, the repeat nature of the behavior leaves the club with little excuse. Hearts are expected to push the matter aggressively, especially amid reports that the referee only stopped the game because of the invasion—not because he had signaled full-time.