The Old Firm will roar on this season, but only from one end of the divide at a time.
The SPFL has confirmed that no away fans will be allowed at any Celtic v Rangers fixtures in the Premiership or League Cup for the remainder of the campaign, after months of tension over allocations and safety concerns.
Rangers host Celtic at Ibrox in the Premier Sports Cup on 13 September, with the sides meeting again at Parkhead in the league a week later. Both ties will now be played in front of home support only.
From 5% allocation to total lock-out
Not long ago, the clubs had an agreement: five per cent of stadium capacity for away fans at all SPFL meetings. At Ibrox and Celtic Park, that meant sizeable travelling supports, colour in both corners, and the kind of noise that defines this rivalry.
That deal has unravelled.
The turning point came after on-pitch clashes between rival supporters following the Scottish Cup tie in March. An independent review followed, scrutinising how these fixtures are managed and what must change to keep them safe.
When it came time to plan this season’s first Ibrox meeting, Rangers moved first. Instead of the usual allocation of around 2,500 tickets for Celtic fans, they offered 300 – a drastic cut they said reflected their assessment of the risks attached to the fixture.
Celtic refused. They rejected the reduced offer, and the stand-off left the SPFL with a decision to make.
SPFL steps in
With no agreement in sight, the league intervened. After discussions with both clubs, Police Scotland and other stakeholders, the SPFL ruled that away fans will be locked out of all Old Firm league and League Cup fixtures this season.
In a statement, the league described the move as a “temporary arrangement” designed to give Celtic, Rangers, the SPFL and the authorities time to digest the findings of the independent review and put its recommendations into practice.
The aim is clear: remove the constant wrangling over allocations, reduce uncertainty for supporters and matchday organisers, and put safety and security at the centre of planning.
All parties, the SPFL says, have committed to working “constructively” during this period. The position could change if circumstances “materially” shift during the season, but for now the line is drawn.
What happens next?
The Old Firm will still shape the title race. The noise will still be ferocious. But the spectacle changes when one half of Glasgow is shut out completely.
Arrangements for fixtures beyond this season are set to be thrashed out well in advance of the 2027/28 campaign. Between now and then, the question hangs over every derby: can Scottish football’s fiercest rivalry find a way back to sharing the same stadium, on the same day, without tearing itself apart?
