Rangers could restrict Celtic ticket allocation in Scottish League Cup
Rangers are theoretically only obliged to offer Celtic a mere 50 tickets for their upcoming Scottish League Cup quarter-final at Ibrox.
The historic Glasgow rivals were drawn against each other in the last eight, raising immediate questions regarding stadium safety and security.
Disorder marred the previous cup encounter between the two Scottish Premiership giants at the same venue in March.
Speculation has been mounting over whether the Parkhead club will be granted an entire stand as they were during that previous fixture.
Strict SPFL rules outline minimal obligations
A detailed review of the Scottish Professional Football League Cup Competition Regulations reveals a surprising baseline for visiting allocations.
Under Section 11 of the competition rulebook, the home side is only strictly required to provide a handful of complimentary passes to their opponents.
“The Home Club shall forward to the Visiting Club ‘without charge’ tickets… 10 for Directors’ Box, 40 for the Stand.”
Consequently, the strictest interpretation of these regulations means the Ibrox hierarchy could effectively deny a meaningful away support.
Custom and practice expected to dictate terms
Despite the written legislation, broadcasting demands and the global profile of the Old Firm derby typically force a more pragmatic approach.
Clubs traditionally default to standard league parameters to ensure a vibrant atmosphere for sponsors and neutral television viewers.
Regular SPFL guidelines demand a reasonable number of visiting supporters be admitted based on advance mutual agreement.
Should the Glasgow heavyweights fail to reach an accord 14 days prior to kick-off, broader league interventions may be required to resolve the standoff.