🚨SFA ANNOUNCE HUGE RULE CHANGES AS OFFICIAL STATEMENT IS RELEASE
Scottish football has been hit by another major development involving Celtic and Rangers, with the long-running dispute over away supporters taking another dramatic turn.
The Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) confirmed on Friday, September 4, 2026, that Celtic and Rangers will have no away supporters at their SPFL meetings for the remainder of the 2026/27 season. The decision comes after months of tension surrounding away-ticket allocations and follows the Scottish FA’s independent review into the disorder at March’s Scottish Cup quarter-final at Ibrox.
For supporters who had been hoping that the away-fan situation would finally return to normal, the latest announcement represents a significant change.
And with two Old Firm fixtures coming up within the space of just seven days, the timing could hardly be more dramatic.
The decision that has changed everything
The SPFL has now confirmed that there will be no visiting supporters at Celtic v Rangers or Rangers v Celtic matches in SPFL competitions for the rest of the 2026/27 campaign.
That means the forthcoming Premier Sports Cup quarter-final at Ibrox on September 13 and the William Hill Premiership clash at Celtic Park on September 20 will both be played without an away allocation.
This is a major departure from the arrangement previously agreed between the two Glasgow giants.
Celtic and Rangers had previously agreed that away supporters would receive an allocation equivalent to around 5% of the available stadium capacity for their SPFL meetings.
However, events surrounding the Scottish Cup quarter-final in March changed the situation dramatically.
The latest decision means supporters will no longer have to wait for individual negotiations between the two clubs to determine whether they will receive tickets for upcoming Old Firm fixtures.
Instead, the position has effectively been settled for the remainder of this season.
What happened at Ibrox?
The background to the decision goes back to the Scottish Cup quarter-final between Rangers and Celtic on March 8, 2026.
Celtic eventually won the match on penalties after a goalless 120 minutes, but the football was overshadowed by serious disorder after the game.
There were pitch invasions, clashes between supporters, fireworks and other incidents which required police and stewards to intervene.
The Scottish FA subsequently commissioned an independent review into the events surrounding the fixture.
The purpose of that review was to examine the planning, preparation, security, safety and medical arrangements surrounding the match and establish what lessons could be learned to prevent similar incidents from happening again.
The independent review was eventually published in July, putting the issue of Old Firm safety and supporter arrangements firmly back into the spotlight.
And its publication has now played a major role in the latest decision.
Why did the away-ticket dispute explode again?
Before the latest announcement, the two clubs were already heading towards another disagreement.
Rangers were due to host Celtic in the League Cup quarter-final on September 13.
However, Rangers proposed a significantly reduced away allocation based on its assessment of the circumstances and risks surrounding the fixture.
Celtic did not accept that proposal and instead asked the SPFL to determine the matter.
The situation therefore moved beyond a simple disagreement between the two clubs.
The SPFL became involved, with discussions also involving Police Scotland and the relevant stakeholders responsible for matchday safety.
After those discussions, a much bigger solution emerged.
Rather than deciding the number of away tickets on a fixture-by-fixture basis, the clubs and the SPFL agreed that no away supporters would attend Old Firm matches in SPFL competitions for the remainder of the season.
The important part of the new announcement
While many supporters may see the latest decision simply as another away-fan ban, there is an important detail contained within the SPFL statement.
The arrangement is described as temporary.
The league says it will allow Celtic, Rangers, the SPFL, Police Scotland and other relevant stakeholders to properly consider the findings and recommendations of the independent review.
It also gives everyone more time to put the necessary measures in place and plan future high-risk fixtures.
In other words, the authorities are not saying that away supporters can never return to Old Firm matches.
Instead, the current season is being used as a period in which the clubs and authorities can assess the situation and work towards a longer-term solution.
The SPFL has also made clear that the position can be reviewed during the season if circumstances materially change.
That particular point will be important to supporters hoping that the situation could eventually improve.
Celtic fans and Rangers fans now face the same reality
One of the most striking aspects of the announcement is that neither set of supporters will receive an away allocation.
It is not a situation where Rangers fans are banned from Celtic Park while Celtic supporters continue travelling to Ibrox.
The decision applies equally to both sides.
When Rangers host Celtic, the match will be played without travelling Celtic supporters.
When Celtic host Rangers, there will be no travelling Rangers supporters.
That creates a very different atmosphere from the traditional Old Firm fixture, where both sets of supporters occupy sections of the stadium and contribute to the intensity that has made the rivalry one of the most famous in football.
For many supporters, that is likely to be one of the most disappointing consequences of the decision.
Celtic manager Martin O’Neill described the absence of away supporters as sad, while acknowledging that there is a lot to consider given everything that has happened. Rangers manager Derek McInnes similarly acknowledged that, generally, having your supporters at away matches is preferable, but accepted that the circumstances surrounding the fixture require serious consideration.
Rangers have already raised concerns
Rangers have also responded to the independent review and the wider situation.
The club has said the disorder witnessed at Ibrox was unacceptable and confirmed that it accepts responsibility for matters within its control.
Rangers also said it would implement lessons and recommendations from the review to strengthen its arrangements for high-risk fixtures.
However, the club has not agreed with every aspect of the independent review.
Rangers specifically raised concerns about the decision to allocate approximately 8,000 tickets to Celtic for the March Scottish Cup match, arguing that the increased allocation materially changed the risk profile of the fixture.
The club also called for the Scottish FA to review its own ticket-allocation rules and policies.
That shows just how complicated the issue has become.
This is no longer simply a disagreement over whether 300, 2,500 or several thousand away supporters should receive tickets.
The bigger question is how Scottish football should manage one of the country’s highest-risk fixtures.
Both clubs have also faced punishment
The March disorder has already had consequences beyond the away-ticket issue.
The Scottish FA disciplinary process resulted in sanctions against both clubs.
The latest disciplinary updates show that both Celtic and Rangers were ordered to play their next home Scottish Cup match behind closed doors and make a £100,000 compensatory payment to the away side drawn for that fixture. Both clubs also received suspended further sanctions connected to future unacceptable conduct.
That means the authorities have taken action on several fronts: disciplinary punishment, an independent review and now a temporary change to away-supporter arrangements.
The latest decision therefore forms part of a much wider attempt to prevent a repeat of what happened at Ibrox.
What happens next?
The immediate focus will be on the two upcoming fixtures.
First comes Rangers v Celtic at Ibrox on September 13 in the Premier Sports Cup.
A week later, the teams meet again at Celtic Park on September 20 in the Scottish Premiership.
Both matches will now be played in front of home supporters only.
That guarantees certainty for clubs and fans in terms of ticketing, rather than allowing another last-minute dispute over the number of visiting supporters.
But it also guarantees that one of football’s most recognisable atmospheres will be missing a crucial ingredient.
The longer-term question is whether the traditional away allocations eventually return.
The SPFL has said arrangements for matches between Celtic and Rangers beyond the current season will be considered well in advance of the 2027/28 campaign.
So, while the current decision applies to the remainder of this season, the door has not been permanently closed on away supporters returning in the future.
A major moment for the Old Firm
The latest announcement represents one of the most significant changes to the modern Celtic-Rangers rivalry.
For years, the two clubs have wrestled with the question of away allocations, with safety, ticketing, atmosphere and competitive fairness all forming part of the debate.
The situation escalated following the events of March, and the independent review has now provided the basis for authorities to reconsider how these matches are staged.
For supporters, however, the biggest question is simple:
Will away fans eventually return to the Old Firm?
The answer is not yet clear.
The SPFL has left the door open to a review if circumstances materially change during this season, while the arrangements for the 2027/28 campaign will be considered later.
For now, though, the message is unmistakable.
Celtic and Rangers supporters will not be travelling to each other’s grounds for SPFL matches for the rest of the 2026/27 season.
And with Rangers v Celtic just days away, Scottish football is about to witness an Old Firm derby unlike any other in recent memory.
The debate over whether this is the right solution is unlikely to disappear anytime soon.
For some supporters, the decision will be viewed as a necessary step following the scenes at Ibrox.
For others, it will feel like the latest blow to an already heavily restricted away-supporter tradition.
Either way, the Scottish football authorities have made their position clear: safety and security now come before the traditional away allocation — at least for the remainder of this season.
And with the next Old Firm clash only days away, Celtic and Rangers fans now know exactly what to expect: no away end, no travelling support and a very different atmosphere when these two giants meet again.