No Away Fans at Old Firm Fixtures This Season
No away fans will be allowed at any Old Firm fixtures in this season’s Premiership or League Cup, after the SPFL confirmed a sweeping lockout of visiting supporters for clashes between Celtic and Rangers.
The decision follows months of tension, an independent review, and the fallout from on-pitch confrontations between rival fans after the Scottish Cup tie in March. What was once the most colourful, hostile split crowd in British football will, for now, be strictly one-sided on derby days.
From five per cent to zero
Both clubs had previously signed off on a standard away allocation of five per cent of the stadium capacity for all SPFL games at Ibrox and Celtic Park. That would have meant around 2,500 away fans at each ground for Old Firm league meetings.
That agreement has now been shelved.
Rangers, citing their own assessment of “circumstances and risks” surrounding the next derby at Ibrox, moved to offer just 300 tickets to Celtic for the Premier Sports Cup tie on 13 September – a dramatic cut from the expected figure.
Celtic rejected the offer.
With neither side willing to budge, the SPFL stepped in to make the call. After talks with both clubs, league officials ruled that there will be no away allocations at any Old Firm fixtures in the SPFL this season, including the league meeting at Parkhead a week after the cup tie, which will be shown live on Sky Sports.
‘Temporary arrangement’ after independent review
In a statement, the SPFL described the move as a “temporary arrangement” designed to give the clubs, the league, Police Scotland and other authorities the space to properly digest the findings and recommendations of the Independent Review into crowd disorder and safety.
The governing body stressed that the lockout is intended to:
- Allow time to implement any necessary actions arising from the review
- Ensure future fixtures can be planned in detail and well in advance
- Provide certainty for supporters and matchday organisers, instead of repeated late wrangling over ticket allocations
All parties, the SPFL said, have committed to working “constructively” through this period, with safety and security set as the overriding priority.
The stance is not fixed in stone. The league has left the door open to change, stating the position will remain under review if circumstances “materially change” during the season.
Longer term, arrangements for Old Firm matches beyond the current campaign will be discussed and agreed “well in advance” of the 2027/28 season.
For now, though, the most charged fixture in Scottish football will be played in front of home-only crowds. The noise will still be fierce. The edge will still be there. But the sight of a defiant away end in Glasgow’s defining derby is gone – at least for this season.
