The Old Firm derby between Rangers and Celtic this weekend will take place without away fans, following a complete ban on away supporters for all remaining matches between the clubs this season.
Ticket allocation row
Heading into the Premier Sports Cup fixture scheduled for 12pm on September 13 at Ibrox, Rangers cut Celtic's ticket allowance down to 300 tickets. Celtic rejected this drastically reduced offer on principle, and the SPFL stepped in to make a determination.
Full away ban across domestic competitions
Following extensive joint negotiations between Celtic, Rangers, Police Scotland, and league authorities, a mutual agreement was finalised to ban away supporters entirely. This temporary ruling applies to every remaining Old Firm match this season across the Scottish Premiership, Premier Sports Cup and Scottish Cup.
Severe crowd disorder and independent review
Serious spectator chaos broke out following Celtic's penalty shootout victory at Ibrox in March, leading to pitch invasions and dangerous altercations between opposing fans. A total of 43 individuals were arrested after flares were thrown.
An official inquiry commissioned by the Scottish Football Association highlighted critical stadium security failures and severe behavioural violations on matchday. As direct punishment for the chaos, both clubs were ordered to play their next Scottish Cup ties behind closed doors.
Stadium security protocols to be restructured
League administrators declared the full ban a necessary temporary arrangement to give Police Scotland and stadium operators space to implement updated safety recommendations. The stoppage guarantees that future derbies will not be organised under uncertain ticketing conditions until long-term security standards are established.
