Celtic and Rangers supporters will be excluded from the opposing club’s stadium for the rest of the 2026/27 season after the Glasgow rivals failed to settle their dispute over visiting-fan ticket numbers, the SPFL has confirmed.
Allocation dispute leads to unprecedented ban
The decision follows several weeks of stalemate, beginning when Rangers proposed giving Celtic only 300 tickets for the Premier Sports Cup meeting at Ibrox on September 13.
That figure was substantially below the clubs’ earlier arrangement. After crowd disorder during their Scottish Cup quarter-final in March, the standard visiting allocation of 8,000 had already been reduced to 2,500.
Celtic rejected Rangers’ latest offer outright. Further talks, including mediation arranged by the league, failed to produce an agreement.
- The 300-ticket proposal concerned the Premier Sports Cup fixture at Ibrox.
- The previous post-March agreement had cut the usual 8,000-seat allocation to 2,500.
- The new ruling removes away support from all Rangers-Celtic fixtures in SPFL competitions for the remainder of the campaign.
League sets out reasons for ruling
The SPFL said the measure was required to allow proper consideration of the conclusions from the Independent Review into the March disturbances. It also said more time was needed to prepare future fixtures in a thorough manner.
The league added that the arrangement should give supporters more certainty and prevent further confusion over ticketing plans.
Clubs accept decision while seeking solution
Senior figures at both Celtic and Rangers have reluctantly accepted the ruling as they continue working towards a longer-term answer. The clubs and the league have pledged to engage constructively throughout the period, with safety and security remaining their central concern.
However, the restriction is not necessarily final for the entire season. The SPFL can reconsider it if circumstances change materially during the 2026/27 campaign.
