Rangers ask SPFL to intervene over Celtic derby ticket ban threat
Rangers have asked the Scottish Professional Football League to intervene after Celtic refused to allocate away tickets for the final Old Firm derby of the season unless a prominent ultras group is banned.
A sub-committee of the SPFL board will convene next week to issue a ruling before the crucial Glasgow clash on Sunday, 10 May.
The bitter dispute stems from crowd disorder during a Scottish Cup quarter-final on 8 March, which saw spectators from both clubs invade the pitch following a dramatic penalty shoot-out.
An independent Scottish FA investigation into those events, led by sports event consultant Mark Blackbourne, remains ongoing.
Safety concerns and ticket ultimatums
Ahead of a fixture that could heavily influence a tight three-way Premiership title race involving Heart of Midlothian, the Parkhead side have demanded the exclusion of the Union Bears.
The current league leaders claim this specific section of the visiting support was identifiably engaged in serious violence during the recent cup tie.
“Celtic FC 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,” a Rangers statement read.
“We have firmly rejected those conditions and have referred the matter to the SPFL board.”
Sporting integrity and precedent fears
The Ibrox club stressed they have strongly condemned the actions of certain individuals involved in the March disturbances and have attempted to work collaboratively on matchday security.
Officials in Govan believe that banning their travelling fans from such a defining fixture would introduce a material sporting imbalance.
“It would also set a precedent with potentially significant consequences for the league in future seasons,” the visitors added.
“This game is an opportunity for Scottish football to demonstrate that it can respond constructively to recent events.”
In response, Celtic have maintained that their primary focus remains the safety of everyone attending the stadium in Glasgow’s East End.
“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 FC,” the hosts stated.
The home side insists they are fully prepared to release the standard away allocation, provided their specific distribution conditions are met.
