Old Firm Matches to Exclude Away Fans This Season

No away fans will be allowed at any Old Firm fixtures in this season’s Premiership or League Cup, after the SPFL moved to shut visiting supporters out of clashes between Celtic and Rangers.

The decision follows months of tension over allocations, a flashpoint Scottish Cup tie in March that saw on-pitch confrontations between rival fans, and an independent review into safety and security around the fixture.

Old Firm behind closed borders

Rangers are due to host Celtic at Ibrox in the Premier Sports Cup on 13 September, with the sides meeting again at Parkhead in the league a week later. Both games will go ahead without a single away supporter inside the ground.

That outcome marks a sharp turn from the previous agreement between the clubs, which had set away allocations at five per cent of stadium capacity for all SPFL meetings at Ibrox and Celtic Park.

That deal began to unravel after the Scottish Cup tie in March. In the aftermath of the disorder and the subsequent independent review, both clubs revisited the plans.

Rangers then offered Celtic around 300 tickets for the upcoming cup tie – a fraction of the usual 2,500 or so that would have gone to away fans – citing their own assessment of the “circumstances and risks” attached to the fixture.

Celtic refused to accept that reduced allocation. With the two sides unable to find common ground, the SPFL stepped in.

SPFL steps in after stalemate

Following talks involving both clubs, the league, Police Scotland and other stakeholders, the SPFL confirmed that all Old Firm games under its jurisdiction this season will be played with home fans only.

In a statement, the league described the move as a “temporary arrangement” designed to give Celtic, Rangers, the SPFL, Police Scotland and others the space to properly digest the findings and recommendations of the independent review, implement any necessary changes, and plan future fixtures in detail.

The league said the decision would give “greater certainty” to supporters and those involved in matchday operations, removing the repeated late wrangling over ticket allocations that has dogged recent Old Firm games.

All parties, the SPFL added, have committed to working “constructively” during this period, with safety and security remaining the priority. The position could still change if circumstances “materially” shift during the season.

What is clear now is that, for the first time in the modern era, one of world football’s fiercest rivalries will be played out in front of single-colour crowds. The long-term arrangements for away fans at Old Firm fixtures are set to be decided well before the 2027/28 season – and those talks will shape what these games look and feel like for years to come.