Celtic and Rangers are locked in a bitter dispute over tickets for the final derby of the season which could see visiting fans locked out of the crunch game.
Due to host the final Old Firm game of the campaign on May 10, Celtic were set to hand over roughly 2,500 tickets to their rivals.
But, following the shameful scenes at the end of the recent Scottish Cup tie at Ibrox, Parkhead chiefs told their counterparts that the arrangement was contingent on them not being distributed to the Union Bears.
That demand has been rejected by Rangers, a move that has left Celtic ‘surprised and disappointed’.
The spat comes after a Celtic’s penalty shoot-out win at Ibrox on March 8, when scores of visiting fans spilled on to the park from the Broomloan Road end.Â
Moments later, dozens of Rangers fans entered the pitch from the section of the Copland Road end which houses the ultras group.
Fans from both sides spilled on to the park at Ibrox following last month’s Scottish Cup clash
Several arrests have since been made and the SFA has launched an investigation into the disorder.
While that’s still to begin, Celtic feel there’s enough evidence to allow them to demand that they aren’t handed over to members of the Union Bears.
It’s understood that Rangers only planned to pass on approximately one per cent of those briefs to the ultras group. But, with no agreement in place, the matter is now set to go to the SPFL for a deliberation.
A Rangers statement read: ‘Celtic informed us that they will not provide any tickets for the forthcoming game to our supporters unless we agree not to allocate tickets to members of the Union Bears.
‘We have firmly rejected those conditions and have referred the matter to the SPFL board.
‘Rangers is fully committed to safety at football matches, and we have been clear in condemning the actions of certain individuals on March 8. We have been attempting to work with Celtic to mitigate any security concerns for the upcoming match.
‘At a crucial stage of the season, the removal of away supporters from one of the defining fixtures of the competition would introduce a clear and material sporting imbalance. It would also set a precedent with potentially significant consequences for the league in future seasons.
‘This game is an opportunity for Scottish football to demonstrate that it can respond constructively to recent events. It should be a showcase occasion and a chance to rebuild confidence in how matches of this nature are managed.
Celtic have requested that Union Bears members are not given tickets for the upcoming fixture
‘We ask the SPFL board to uphold the integrity of the competition, enforce the rules and ensure that the agreement in place between both clubs is honoured.’
A statement from Celtic read: ‘To be clear, we are ready and willing to make the full allocation as normal available to Rangers, subject to a condition regarding distribution to a particular section.
‘Celtic’s priority will always be the safety of those attending Celtic Park, and following a detailed risk assessment with regards to the forthcoming match, the club has made a reasonable request of Rangers that tickets are not distributed to a section of supporters which very recently and identifiably engaged in serious violence and disorder involving Celtic supporters, staff, police and stewards.
‘To our surprise and disappointment Rangers have not agreed to this request.
‘Celtic are ready to engage further with the SPFL and Rangers on this matter.’
An SPFL spokesperson said: ‘The SPFL board will now appoint a sub-committee to consider Rangers’ request for a determination under SPFL Rule I27.’
That rule dictates that clubs must make provision for a ‘reasonable number’ of visiting fans and allows the SPFL board to determine the number of tickets.
The row is the latest in a long line when it comes to tickets for away fans at the fixture. It started back in 2018 when Rangers first reduced the allocation of all visitors to 800/900.
With Celtic immediately reciprocating, this meant a huge drop in the number of visitors which had traditionally been between 7,000 and 8,000.
That number was restored for the recent cup clash, but only because of competition rules.
Due to the disorder which followed, it seems highly unlikely that there will be that number present in league games in the future.
