Get this: The Old Firm derbies between Celtic and Rangers in the Scottish Premiership and Premier Sports Cup this season? They’re going down with no away supporters, straight up. This isn’t just a minor tweak; it’s a massive shift for one of football’s most intense rivalries, decided after talks between the Glasgow clubs and the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL).
Why The Stands Are Going To Be A Little Too Quiet
This “temporary arrangement” popped up following an independent review into the chaos that went down at last term’s Scottish Cup quarter-final at Ibrox. On March 8, things got wild, with unrest and pitch incursions from both sets of fans! That game was totally different from the norm, with around 8,000 visiting Celtic supporters present, way more than you’d see at usual Old Firm league derbies, all thanks to different cup ticketing rules. Because of that mess, the Scottish FA already announced both clubs have to play their next Scottish Cup home games behind closed doors. Before this, Rangers even tried to push for a small allocation of 300 away fans for the impending cup tie, but Celtic rejected it. What a situation, right?
Managers React: ‘Inevitable’ But ‘Really Sad’
You can imagine the frustration. Rangers manager Derek McInnes called the whole thing “disappointing,” admitting it “caught me on the hop a wee bit.” He’s absolutely right, too, when he says, “It’s always better when opposition fans are allowed into a derby game.” That atmosphere is a huge part of what makes these clashes so electric! And Celtic boss Martin O’Neill? He described the decision as “inevitable” but also “really sad.” O’Neill knows the score, adding, “It’s a great, great fixture when the ground is absolutely full. And I think the away fans make this.” He’s not wrong, man! This isn’t the first time away allocations have been all over the place either. The numbers bounced between about 800 and zero from 2018 to 2026 in a series of tit-for-tat moves, before finally settling on around 5% capacity, which was 2,500 to 3,000 fans, for league games in 2025 and 2026.
So, when Rangers host Celtic in the Premier Sports Cup on September 13, and then again just a week later at Celtic Park for the league showdown, it’s going to be an eerily different atmosphere without those traveling supporters. This “temporary arrangement” is meant to give everyone , the clubs, the SPFL, Police Scotland, and other stakeholders , time to dig into the review’s findings and plan future games better, all while prioritizing safety. You gotta hope these two legendary clubs can work together, iron out these problems, and get those away fans back in the building where they truly belong. These derbies just aren’t the same without them, you know?
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by BBC Sport.
Leave a Reply