Rangers Fans Jailed for Sectarian Attack Outside Ibrox Stadium, Glasgow 2026

• Three Northern Irish supporters of Rangers Football Club have been jailed at Glasgow Sheriff Court following a violent, sectarian attack on a Celtic fan.
• The assault occurred on 8 March 2026 outside Ibrox Stadium in Glasgow following a Scottish Cup quarter-final tie between Rangers and Celtic.
• Scott Dragsness (55), Ben Stanex (24), both of Belfast, and Andrew Graham (21), of Dundonald, pled guilty to assault to severe injury and danger of life, aggravated by religious prejudice.
• The victim, 48-year-old Celtic supporter Bruce Craik, suffered a traumatic brain injury (bleed on the brain), a wound to the back of his head, and eye swelling after being knocked unconscious.
• High-definition footage recorded by a Police Scotland drone and bystander mobile phones showed Stanex repeatedly stamping on Mr Craik’s head whilst Dragsness and Graham kicked his body.
• Sheriff Andrew McIntyre sentenced Dragsness to 18 months in prison, whilst Stanex and Graham were each handed 12-month custodial sentences.
• All three perpetrators were served with seven-year Football Banning Orders prohibiting them from attending any regulated football matches across the United Kingdom.

Glasgow (Glasgow Express) November 2, 2026 — Three men from Northern Ireland have been handed custodial sentences at Glasgow Sheriff Court today after pleading guilty to a brutal, religiously aggravated assault that left a Celtic fan with a bleed on the brain following an Old Firm Scottish Cup quarter-final fixture.

As reported by Connor Gordon of the Glasgow Times, the assault took place on March 8, 2026, outside Ibrox Stadium in the Southside of Glasgow. The court heard that 48-year-old Celtic supporter Bruce Craik was ushering fellow supporters onto a coach when he was set upon by a crowd of rival Rangers supporters, which included Scott Dragsness (55), Ben Stanex (24), and Andrew Graham (21).

What Occurred During the Violent Incident Outside the Stadium?

According to details presented in court by prosecutors from the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), Mr Craik had stepped off the supporters’ coach to assist other fans in boarding safely following the conclusion of the match. He was approached by a hostile group who began shouting sectarian slurs, including “Fenian b******s”.

As reported by STV News, the violent attack escalated rapidly when Stanex punched Mr Craik. After the victim fell to the ground, Stanex placed his hands against the side of the bus for leverage and repeatedly stamped on Mr Craik’s head. Seeing the victim incapacitated, Dragsness and Graham joined in the assault, kicking Mr Craik in the body. The entire attack was captured from above by a Police Scotland surveillance drone monitoring fan dispersal, as well as by a motorist caught in traffic whose mobile phone footage showed Mr Craik lying unconscious on the road.

Following the attack, the three men fled the scene and boarded coaches carrying Rangers fans back across the Irish Sea. Police officers intercepted the vehicles shortly after, identified the three individuals using the video recordings, and placed them under arrest. Emergency services rushed Mr Craik to the hospital, where medical staff diagnosed him with a bleed on the brain, tissue swelling around his left eye, and lacerations to the back of his head.

What Arguments Were Presented by the Prosecution and Defence in Court?

At Glasgow Sheriff Court, all three defendants pled guilty to an indictment of assault to severe injury and danger of life, with an aggravation of prejudice related to religion or perceived religious affiliation.

As reported by Daily Record, defence counsel Michael Anderson KC, representing Ben Stanex, stated to the court that alcohol had played a significant role in his client’s actions. As noted by Mr Anderson KC, Stanex described the event as “10 seconds of madness” and maintained that his behaviour was entirely out of character.

Representing Andrew Graham, Graeme Brown KC argued that the assault was neither pre-planned nor pre-meditated. As stated by Mr Brown KC, Graham had “no intention to cause serious harm” and his direct involvement was restricted to a single kick delivered on an art and part basis while the victim was already on the ground.

How Did the Presiding Sheriff Justify the Prison Sentences and Banning Orders?

Presiding Sheriff Andrew McIntyre rejected non-custodial options, affirming that the severity of the hate-fuelled attack warranted strict custodial penalties.

As reported by PA Media reporter Nick Forbes, Sheriff McIntyre stated that community-based sentences would be entirely “inadequate” as they would “fail to reflect the seriousness of the crime or the community’s disapproval of sectarian, football-related violence”.

Addressing the court, Sheriff McIntyre declared:

“I have concluded that only a prison sentence can mark the seriousness of this crime, and I am satisfied there is no other sentence available in the circumstances. I have concluded that a prison sentence is necessary to protect the public and deter others from offending in future”.

Taking into account prior criminal records and early guilty pleas, Sheriff McIntyre sentenced Scott Dragsness—who had a prior conviction for violence—to 18 months’ imprisonment (reduced from 27 months due to an early plea, with three months explicitly attributed to religious aggravation). Ben Stanex and Andrew Graham were each sentenced to 12 months in prison.

Additionally, Sheriff McIntyre imposed a seven-year Football Banning Order on all three men. Under the terms of the order, they are barred from entering any regulated football stadium in the United Kingdom and are prohibited from travelling to support any football team. They are also legally required to report to designated police stations and notify Police Scotland of any changes to their names, addresses, or passports.

Following the sentencing, Police Scotland reaffirmed its position on sporting violence. As stated by Police Scotland in an official release:

“Everyone has the right to attend a sporting event with their family and friends without having to witness this disgraceful and shameful behaviour and should be able to go home unharmed. We will not tolerate football-related violence and will ensure that those responsible are held to account”.

Background of Football-Related Sectarian Disorder in Scotland

Sectarianism in Scottish football, particularly surrounding the Old Firm rivalry between Glasgow clubs Rangers and Celtic, has a recorded history spanning over a century. Rooted in historical socio-political, cultural, and religious divisions between Protestant and Roman Catholic communities, matches between the two clubs have frequently generated heightened public order challenges for law enforcement agencies.

In response to historic violence and hate crimes surrounding sporting fixtures, the Scottish Parliament and legal authorities have implemented various legislative frameworks and specialized policing techniques over the decades. The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) regularly applies statutory aggravations under Scottish law for offences demonstrated to involve religious, racial, or perceived group prejudice.

Furthermore, Police Scotland has increasingly deployed advanced surveillance technologies, such as aerial drone units and high-definition mobile monitoring teams, during high-risk fixtures to assist in real-time crowd control and the post-event prosecution of offenders. The implementation of strict UK-wide Football Banning Orders under the Football Spectators Act framework remains a standard judicial tool to prevent convicted offenders from attending matches domestically or travelling abroad for fixtures.

Prediction: How This Development Can Affect Football Supporters, Clubs, and Law Enforcement

This judicial ruling and the surrounding enforcement measures are expected to impact several key stakeholder groups within Scottish football and the broader sporting community:

• Impact on Travelling Football Supporters: The imposition of maximum-term seven-year Football Banning Orders combined with mandatory prison terms sends a clear deterrent signal to match-goers across the UK and Northern Ireland. Travelling fans face severe personal, legal, and travel consequences—including restrictions on international travel and mandatory police registration—if found guilty of participating in public order offences around matches.
• Impact on Football Clubs and Stadium Security Governance: Incidents of serious violence outside venues increase pressure on football governing bodies (such as the Scottish FA and the SPFL) and individual clubs to tighten security perimeters, coordinate more robustly with transport operators, and manage fan separation further away from stadium gates. Continued fan disorder risks triggering stadium bans, reduced ticket allocations for visiting supporters, or compulsory closed-door fixtures.
• Impact on Law Enforcement Tactics and Legal Prosecution Strategy: The successful identification and conviction of offenders using aerial drone technology establishes a strong precedent for Police Scotland and the COPFS. Police services are likely to expand the routine use of real-time drone surveillance at high-risk sporting events, while prosecutors will continue to strictly pursue statutory religious aggravations to secure custodial sentences for hate-motivated football disorder.