VANCOUVER — Fraser Aird knew plenty of people on the field and in the stands as he opened his laptop to watch Saturday's Scottish Cup final.
He didn't expect to be fearing for their safety a short time later.
Rangers, the Glasgow club that loaned Aird to the Vancouver Whitecaps this season, fell 3-2 to Hibernian in dramatic fashion over the weekend, and while the defeat was a major disappointment, what happened next left the 21-year-old defender shaking his head.
A number of Rangers players were assaulted as thousands of Hibernian fans stormed the pitch after the final whistle at Hampden Park to celebrate their club's first Scottish Cup in 114 years.
"It's shocking," Aird said after Whitecaps' practice on Tuesday. "That shouldn't happen in this day and age in football.
"You shouldn't fear that you might get hurt when you go on the park."
Supporters of Hibernian, located in Edinburgh, tore down one of the goalposts and ripped up sections of the turf, while fights also broke out among rival fans.
As police and security struggled to cope, mounted horse units were brought on to the pitch to help restore order to a chaotic scene that resembled something out of the 1970s or 1980s.
Vancouver head coach Carl Robinson spoke with friend and former Whitecaps striker Kenny Miller, who scored the opener for Rangers on Saturday, after the match to make sure everything was OK.
"It's an unbelievable scenario. I thought, gone were the days of ... that," said Robinson. "You can't condone fans running on the pitch. In today's society it's absolutely unacceptable and puts people at risk.
"I understand the joyous moment and things like that, but come on. That should never happen."
Born in Toronto, Aird joined Rangers' youth program as a 16-year-old and scored 12 times in 80 games for the senior team before coming to Major League Soccer.
Like Robinson, he said he understands the euphoria of the Hibernian fans, but not how they acted.
"You can celebrate in the stands, you can celebrate when you go home," said Aird, a Canadian international. "There's no need to run on the field and threaten players or attack players. It's just totally uncalled for.
"It wasn't a good look for Scottish football."
