Away fans banned from Celtic vs Rangers Old Firm derbies for the 2026/27 season

Celtic and Rangers will contest every Old Firm derby in the Scottish Premiership and Scottish League Cup this season without away supporters. The SPFL announced the sweeping change after the serious disorder that marred last season's Scottish Cup quarter-final at Ibrox, describing the ban as a temporary arrangement that could be revisited during the campaign.

• The SPFL has banned away fans from all Celtic vs Rangers matches in its competitions for the rest of the 2026/27 season.
• An independent review into the last Scottish Cup meeting at Ibrox found that crushing and life-threatening violence were narrowly avoided.
• The previous agreement gave away supporters a 5% ticket allocation for Premiership and League Cup fixtures.
• Rangers host Celtic in the League Cup quarter-finals next weekend before the first league derby at Celtic Park on Sunday 20 September.
• Celtic rejected a Rangers proposal to cut the away allocation for the Ibrox cup tie, prompting the SPFL to intervene.

What happened at the last Celtic vs Rangers Scottish Cup tie at Ibrox

The roots of the ban lie in last season's Scottish Cup quarter-final between the two Glasgow rivals at Ibrox. That match ended in chaotic scenes as Rangers supporters stormed the pitch to confront Celtic fans who had spilled onto the field in celebration. Both clubs were subsequently punished with behind-closed-doors home fixtures in the competition.

An independent investigation into the match delivered a damning verdict. Its findings warned that crushing and violence with potentially fatal consequences were only narrowly avoided. That assessment convinced league officials that the existing ticketing model for Old Firm games could no longer continue unchanged.

How ticket allocations change for Premiership and League Cup derbies

Until now, the clubs had agreed to hand visiting supporters a 5% share of the capacity at Premiership and League Cup meetings. That arrangement, reached last year, effectively collapses with the new ruling. The SPFL explained that ticketing plans were reconsidered after the publication of the independent review's conclusions.

The immediate trigger was Celtic's refusal to accept a Rangers proposal to reduce the away allocation for the upcoming League Cup quarter-final at Ibrox. With no agreement between the two clubs on the table, the SPFL stepped in and went further than either side had suggested: no away fans at any Old Firm fixture in its competitions for the remainder of the season.

After further discussions involving both clubs and the SPFL, agreement has been reached that there will be no away supporters for matches involving Rangers and Celtic in SPFL competitions for the remainder of the 2026/27 season.

When the next Old Firm derbies without away fans will be played

The new policy faces its first test almost immediately. Rangers welcome Celtic to Ibrox next weekend for their Scottish League Cup quarter-final. The knockout tie will be played in front of a home-only crowd.

Seven days later, Celtic Park stages the first Premiership Old Firm of the campaign on Sunday 20 September. That match will follow the same rules, with only Celtic supporters allowed inside the stadium, as will every league meeting between the sides this season.

Why the SPFL calls the away fan ban temporary

League officials have been careful to frame the decision as a short-term fix rather than a permanent policy. The SPFL says the arrangement gives both clubs, Police Scotland and other stakeholders time to properly consider the independent review's recommendations and plan future fixtures more thoroughly.

The stated aim is twofold: to implement the necessary safety improvements and to bring greater certainty for fans and matchday planners alike. The league wants to avoid a situation where every Old Firm becomes a separate negotiation over ticket allocations, with the repeated uncertainty that creates. All parties have committed to working constructively during this period, with safety and security remaining the priority, and the position will be reviewed if circumstances change materially during the season.

What is at stake for Celtic and Rangers in the upcoming derbies

Beyond the safety debate, the footballing stakes remain as high as ever. The League Cup quarter-final is a straight knockout tie: the winner advances to the semi-finals and the loser exits Scotland's second major domestic cup competition.

The Premiership meeting on 20 September carries a different weight. It is the first league chapter of a rivalry that has dominated Scottish football for decades. Celtic and Rangers have shared every top-flight title since the mid-1980s barring one exceptional interruption, and each head-to-head result swings the championship race in a way no other fixture can.