No away fans for Old Firm derbies as Celtic and Rangers reach agreement with SPFL following Ibrox crowd trouble

Scottish football's most intense rivalry will take on a different atmosphere this term, as both Glasgow giants have agreed to a total ban on away fans for all domestic meetings. The decision affects fixtures in both the Scottish Premiership and the Premier Sports Cup, ensuring that the stands will be occupied exclusively by home fans.

The upcoming Premier Sports Cup clash on 13 September, hosted by Rangers, will be the first high-profile game impacted by this ruling. Just one week later, the two sides are scheduled to meet again at Celtic Park in league action, which will also proceed without visiting supporters.

In a statement confirming the move, the SPFL explained that the ban is a necessary step to evaluate the safety recommendations stemming from the Ibrox unrest. The governing body stated: '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.'

The authorities are eager to avoid the logistical nightmares that have plagued recent derbies, where ticket allocations have been a constant source of friction. The SPFL added: 'It will also provide greater certainty for supporters and those involved in matchday planning, while avoiding repeated uncertainty around ticketing arrangements for individual fixtures. All parties have committed to working constructively during this period, with safety and security remaining the priority.'

The tension surrounding these fixtures reached a breaking point during the March cup meeting, which saw Celtic fans receive their full Broomloan Road Stand allocation for the first time since 2018. Around 8,000 visiting supporters were present for that fixture, a significantly higher number than the sub-1,000 allocations seen in recent league games.

As part of the fallout, both Celtic and Rangers were ordered by the Scottish FA to play their next home games in the Scottish Cup behind closed doors. The decision to now extend the away fan ban to all domestic competitions this season highlights the severity of the situation.

Commenting on the decision, Rangers manager Derek McInnes admitted he was caught off guard by the announcement, describing the news as 'disappointing'. 'It's always better when opposition fans are allowed into a derby game,' McInnes said. 'In the context of everything that's gone on with this fixture and the last part of it, I think there's a lot to consider and a lot to discuss. As far as I was led to believe, that was still up for discussion, so it's kind of caught me on the hop a wee bit.'

Also offering his reaction to the ban, Celtic manager Martin O'Neill reflected on the outcome, labelling the agreement as both 'inevitable' and 'really sad'. 'It's a great, great fixture when the ground is absolutely full. And I think the away fans make this,' O'Neill added. 'Hopefully the two clubs will maybe get together at some stage or another and try to iron out the particular problems.'