Humza Yousaf told fans to leave pyrotechnics at home after a 12-year-old Dundee fan was injured by a flare on Saturday.
The boy was left with a facial injury after being struck at McDiarmid Park during Dundee’s clash with St Johnstone.
A 15-year-old has been arrested and reported to prosecutors over the incident. A further four teenagers aged between 13 and 17 were also arrested over separate pyrotechnic incidents at the game.
The first minister sent the young football fan his best wishes when asked about the incident during a visit to Fife on Monday.
‘My thoughts are with the young fan’
Mr Yousaf said: “My thoughts are with the young football fan that has been impacted. I hope they recover from that.
“I know from previous roles that I’ve had just how dangerous pyrotechnics can be to the game.”
Despite their use being illegal at every Scottish football ground, fans using pyrotechnics inside stadiums are a regular occurrence at large matches.
Asked what more could be done to stop them being brought into football grounds, Mr Yousaf said: “I’ll ensure the Cabinet Secretary for Justice is continuing engagement with Police Scotland.
“If there’s anything further we can do, we can seek to do, we will do.
“But I would urge those football fans who I know love the game, who passionately support their team week in and week out, to do so safely.
“The use of pyrotechnics is dangerous. It can harm somebody, clearly it already has, we don’t want it to cause catastrophic injury.
“It could just be a matter of time.”
Conversation