The Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) has finally broken its silence on the contentious ticket dispute surrounding the final Old Firm derby of the season, delivering a verdict in favour of Celtic.
Celtic's Stipulation Upheld
The ruling means that Rangers' Union Bears ultras will not be permitted to attend next weekend's pivotal clash at Celtic Park. Celtic had insisted that the allocation of 2,200 away tickets would only be made available to Rangers under the agreement that they were not sold to the Union Bears. This condition stemmed from the shameful violence and disorder witnessed at the end of the Scottish Cup game at Ibrox in March, when Celtic supporters invaded the pitch after their team's penalty shootout victory, prompting the Union Bears to charge onto the pitch in retaliation.
SPFL Sub-Committee Decision
Rangers rejected Celtic's stipulation, and the matter was referred to the league's governing body. After deliberating throughout the week, with an SPFL sub-committee hearing the case on Thursday, it was announced last night that Celtic's original proviso would stand. The SPFL declined to overrule Celtic, citing ongoing safety concerns and the fact that an independent review into the March incident is still underway. The governing body also noted that the matter had been raised at relatively short notice, leaving insufficient time to weigh all relevant evidence.
Implications for the Match
Rangers now face a choice: accept the terms laid out by Celtic or completely refuse the allocation. If no away fans are present, Celtic would not sell the tickets to their own supporters, leaving that section of the stadium empty. The Old Firm rivals will clash at Parkhead next Sunday in the final derby of the season, with both teams level on points with Hearts in the title race. According to SPFL regulations, neither side can appeal the decision.
Official Statements
An SPFL statement read: 'Celtic, as the party responsible for the safety and security of the event, had imposed an additional condition on the distribution of away tickets that it considered necessary and proportionate for managing safety and security. Subject to that condition being agreed, Celtic remains willing to offer the amount of tickets to Rangers that they had undertaken to provide in their reciprocal agreement. The sub-committee determined that, based on the evidence presented, it would not overrule a risk assessment carried out by the party legally responsible for the safety and security of the event, or interfere with the mitigation measures it considered necessary to comply with SPFL Rule H36.'
An SPFL spokesperson added: 'We note the decision of the independent sub-committee. We have been consulting with all clubs for months regarding the rules in this area and had achieved consensus that the current deadline of 14 days before a match for a referral to the SPFL Board is insufficient. Following discussion at the SPFL's Rules & Regulations Working Group, we had intended to table a resolution at the June AGM to bring forward the deadline to 35 days prior to a fixture and will now take time to reflect on this decision.'
Rangers and Celtic were both approached for comment but have not yet responded.
