There will be no away supporters at Rangers-Celtic derby matches in the Scottish Premiership or the Premier Sports Cup this season, with the latest Celtic tickets picture shaped by safety concerns and the fallout from last term's Scottish Cup quarter-final at Ibrox.
The temporary arrangement means the usual allocation for travelling fans will not be in place for the next Old Firm meetings, including Rangers' home game against Celtic on 13 September and the league fixture at Celtic Park a week later. It is a significant change for supporters on both sides, and one that underlines how seriously the clubs and football authorities are treating the issue.
The decision follows an independent review into the crowd disorder that came after Celtic's penalty shootout win at Ibrox on 8 March. Last month, the Scottish FA also announced that both clubs would have to play their next Scottish Cup home games behind closed doors, and the new position has now extended the uncertainty around derby ticketing further into the season.
Why the change has been made
The SPFL said the arrangement would allow Celtic and Rangers, together with the SPFL, Police Scotland and other relevant stakeholders, to give proper consideration to the review's findings and recommendations. It added that the move should give greater certainty for supporters and for those involved in matchday planning, while avoiding repeated uncertainty around ticketing arrangements for individual fixtures.
That is the practical point here. This is not just about one match or one weekend. It is about giving the game time to reset the way these fixtures are managed, while keeping safety and security as the priority.
The SPFL also said all parties had committed to working constructively during this period. In other words, the absence of away fans is being treated as a temporary measure, but one that reflects the seriousness of what happened and the need for a more settled approach before future fixtures are staged.
McInnes: 'disappointing'
Derek McInnes described the news as disappointing and said it is always better when opposition fans are allowed into a derby game. He also said that, in the context of everything that has gone on with this fixture and the last part of it, there is a lot to consider and a lot to discuss.
McInnes added that, as far as he had been led to believe, the issue was still up for discussion, so the announcement had caught him on the hop a wee bit. That reaction is understandable because derby atmospheres are one of the main reasons these games matter so much.
But the broader picture is clear enough. This season's Celtic tickets allocation for away supporters in these fixtures will be zero, and that changes the feel of the matches as well as the planning around them. For Rangers and Celtic, the immediate focus now moves to the two meetings on 13 September and the following week at Celtic Park, both of which will take place without travelling support in the stands.
What happens beyond that will depend on how the clubs, the SPFL, the Scottish FA and Police Scotland respond to the review and whether a more permanent arrangement can be agreed for the future. For now, though, the message is simple: there will be no away fans for Rangers-Celtic derbies this season.
