Celtic and Rangers fans will be banned from each other’s stadiums for the remainder of the 2026/27 season after the two bitter rivals failed to resolve a bitter dispute over ticket allocations, the SPFL has confirmed.
The unprecedented ban follows weeks of deadlock between the Glasgow giants, triggered when Rangers offered Celtic just 300 tickets for the upcoming Premier Sports Cup tie at Ibrox on September 13. That offer was a far cry from the previous agreement between the clubs, which had already slashed the normal allocation of 8,000 seats down to 2,500 following crowd trouble during the Scottish Cup quarter-final clash in March.
Celtic flatly rejected the revised allocation, and despite further discussions and mediation provided by the league, no compromise could be reached. In a terse statement, the SPFL confirmed the nuclear option: no away supporters for any matches involving Rangers and Celtic in SPFL competitions for the rest of the campaign.
The league cited the need for “proper consideration” of the findings from the Independent Review into the March chaos, as well as the need to “ensure sufficient time is available to plan future fixtures thoroughly”. The decision, the SPFL added, would also provide “greater certainty for supporters” and avoid “repeated uncertainty around ticketing arrangements”.
The hierarchy at both Celtic and Rangers have now reluctantly accepted the decision while they work on a solution. All parties have committed to working constructively during this period, with safety and security remaining the priority. However, the ban will remain subject to review should circumstances materially change during the season.
