Celtic and Rangers fans will not be present in each other’s grounds for the rest of the season.
The absence of away allocations has been announced by the SPFL after Celtic challenged Rangers’ decision to give them just 300 tickets for the Premier Sports Cup tie at Ibrox on September 13th.
Rangers cut the allocation from the recently-agreed total of about 2,500 seats in response to the trouble that marred the Scottish Cup quarter-final clash between the Glasgow rivals in March, when Celtic were given the traditional allocation of about 8,000 under competition rules.
An SPFL statement read: “Following the events of March 8th and the publication of the Independent Review, the arrangements for the forthcoming fixtures were reconsidered.
“For the Premier Sports Cup tie at Ibrox, Rangers proposed a reduced away allocation based on its assessment of the circumstances and risks associated with that fixture. Celtic did not accept that proposal and sought a determination from the SPFL.
“After further discussions involving both clubs and the SPFL, agreement has been reached that there will be no away supporters for matches involving Rangers and Celtic in SPFL competitions for the remainder of the 2026/27 season.
“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.
“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 position will remain subject to review should circumstances materially change during the season.”
Celtic manager Martin O’Neill was not surprised by the decision.
“I think that was inevitable, really, when Rangers were offering 300 tickets, and we refused that,” he said. “Really sad, I must admit, just from a normal punter’s viewpoint. It’s a great, great fixture when the ground is absolutely full. And I think the away fans make this.
“I can think back of the years gone past, at the beginning of the century, when I was involved, and they were magnificent fixtures, absolutely fantastic. It is quite sad.
“Hopefully the two clubs will maybe get together at some stage or another and try to iron out the particular problems.
“It’s not to say that we haven’t had a few problems in the past, but they seem to have escalated over the last number of seasons, which is a problem.”