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Celtic and Rangers have both been ordered to play their next home Scottish Cup matches behind closed doors following incidents during their Old Firm quarter-final at Ibrox on March 8.
The Scottish FA Tribunal found both clubs in breach of Disciplinary Rule 37, which requires clubs to take all reasonably practicable measures to maintain good order and security and prevent unacceptable conduct by supporters.
Both cases were admitted and the sanctions were imposed unanimously.
Celtic's next home Scottish Cup fixture will be played without supporters, while the club must also pay £100,000 to the away team drawn against them. The payment must be made within 30 days of the match being completed.
Rangers have received an identical sanction, meaning their next home Scottish Cup tie will also take place behind closed doors, accompanied by a £100,000 compensatory payment to the visiting club.
Both clubs have also been handed additional suspended sanctions, active until the conclusion of the 2027/28 season.
Should either club fail to ensure that its supporters avoid unacceptable conduct during a Scottish Cup fixture during that period, it will face another behind-closed-doors home match and a further £100,000 payment to the opposition.
Celtic question severity of punishment
Celtic criticised the decision, describing the punishment as disproportionate in relation to what the club characterised as a relatively small pitch incursion by its supporters.
The club said it has never defended supporters entering the field of play and has repeatedly taken action when such incidents have occurred.
However, Celtic argued that the circumstances surrounding the incident should have been considered by the Tribunal.
The club also highlighted that Rangers, rather than Celtic, were the home side on March 8 and therefore responsible for stadium safety arrangements.
“We are shocked by this disproportionate punishment for a relatively small incursion by Celtic supporters at a moment of emotion and celebration,” Celtic said.
The club added that it would review the Tribunal's report and reasoning before deciding on its next steps.
Rangers reduce Celtic allocation to 300 tickets
The sanctions come as Rangers confirmed that Celtic will receive an away allocation of just 300 tickets for the forthcoming Premier Sports Cup fixture at Ibrox.
Rangers said the decision had been influenced by the March 8 events, the publication of the Blackbourne Report and the Scottish FA sanctions, as well as the club's assessment of the current security risk.
The club said the reduced allocation would allow for greater individual ticket-holder accountability, stronger ingress controls, enhanced segregation and additional safety measures.
Rangers also pointed to further pitch invasions involving Celtic supporters since the March fixture, arguing that the Blackbourne Report demonstrated how quickly an initial pitch incursion could escalate into wider disorder involving both sets of supporters.
“Matchday safety remains our top priority,” Rangers said.
The Ibrox club claimed it had approached Celtic following the recent cup draw with proposals intended to establish a sustainable approach to future fixtures. Rangers said Celtic's response, which arrived eight days later, did not address its concerns regarding accountability and deterrence.
Rangers said it had not seen what it considered sufficient acknowledgement or condemnation of the previous incidents from Celtic.
The club also reiterated its concerns over the away allocation for the March 8 fixture, saying it had previously warned that the increased allocation presented additional risks.
Rangers said it remained concerned about a “material risk of recurrence” and insisted that greater accountability, effective deterrence and cooperation between the relevant stakeholders would be required to reduce those risks.
The two clubs will now face the prospect of further restrictions if similar incidents occur during Scottish Cup fixtures before the end of the 2027/28 season.
Featured Image Credit: Unsplash / Winston Tjia
Source Credits: scottishfa.co.uk, celticfc.com, rangers.co.uk
