Celtic, Rangers away fans shut out from Old Firm derbies / Photo: ANDY BUCHANAN - AFP
Celtic, Rangers away fans shut out from Old Firm derbies
Old Firm clashes between arch Glasgow rivals Celtic and Rangers will have no away fans this season after crowd trouble marred a Scottish Cup tie in March.
Dozens of arrests were made following clashes on the pitch at Ibrox, Rangers' home ground, after Gers fans charged on to confront Celtic supporters who had spilled on to the pitch to celebrate their team's quarter-final win on penalties.
Both clubs have been ordered to play their next home Scottish Cup tie behind closed doors and pay their opponents £100,000 ($136,000) in compensation for the loss of shared gate receipts.
An independent review into the scenes at the cup tie in March concluded that "crushing" and "life-threatening violence" were narrowly avoided.
Rangers had proposed slashing Celtic's allocation to just 300 tickets for a League Cup tie on September 13.
But after Celtic challenged that decision, no away fans will be allowed to attend for at least the remainder of the season.
"After further discussions involving both clubs and the SPFL, agreement has been reached that there will be no away supporters for matches involving Rangers and Celtic in SPFL competitions for the remainder of the 2026/27 season," said a statement issued by the Scottish Professional Football Leagues on Friday.
"This temporary arrangement will allow both clubs, together with the SPFL, Police Scotland and other relevant stakeholders, to give proper consideration to the findings and recommendations of the independent review, take forward the necessary actions and ensure sufficient time is available to plan future fixtures thoroughly."
W.Weber--JdCdC
