The Scottish Football Association have drawn a line under one of the ugliest chapters of crowd disorder in Old Firm history. In a historic and stunning ruling that marks a radical shift in policy, the game's governing body have hit Scotland's two giants with an unprecedented punishment: both will play in front of empty stands.
According to the bbc, the Scottish FA ordered both Celtic and Rangers to play their next home matches in the Scottish Cup behind closed doors, in the wake of the serious disorder that marred their quarter-final meeting last season.
They didn't stop there. Each club faces a hefty 100,000 pounds sterling fine, payable to the opposing team who visit them in those closed-door matches. The threat of a second sanction looms too: a full stadium closure should either set of fans step out of line again during the Cup competition.
The night of chaos at Ibrox
Rewind to last March, when Celtic reached the semi-final after a thrilling penalty shootout win over Rangers at Ibrox. No sooner had the referee blown his whistle than the pitch descended into chaos. Fans of both teams stormed the turf and hurled fireworks and projectiles, leaving a number of police officers injured and several people arrested.
Both clubs were formally charged under Rule 37 of the Scottish FA's disciplinary regulations, which relates to unacceptable conduct, and they submitted their testimonies before an independent judicial panel.
A shocking report and a shift in approach
An independent review, published last month under the chairmanship of Mark Blackburn, revealed that the scenes almost turned into a violent mass confrontation. It pinpointed clear failings on the part of both clubs and delivered scathing criticism of the Scottish FA itself for its previous leniency towards crowd disorder.
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Fines and reduced ticket allocations for firework use had been the norm from both the association and the Premier League until now. The severity of this punishment points to a complete change in approach.
Expect the penalties to bite in the fourth round of the Scottish Cup in the middle of next January. Through them, the Scottish FA send a decisive message that leaves no room for interpretation: the era of tolerance for unacceptable behaviour is over once and for all.