NafisaThe draw alone was enough to send Scottish football into overdrive.
Rangers and Celtic were already guaranteed another meeting after being paired together in the quarter-finals of the Premier Sports Cup, but confirmation of the fixture arrangements has now added another layer to what promises to be a fascinating Old Firm showdown.
And this one comes at a particularly interesting moment for both clubs.
Rangers finally gave their supporters something to celebrate after Derek McInnes secured his first competitive victory as manager with a thumping 5-1 win over St Mirren.
It was the sort of result the Ibrox faithful had been waiting for, particularly after the difficult opening weeks of McInnes’ reign.
Celtic, meanwhile, had no trouble booking their own place in the last eight.
Martin O’Neill’s side travelled to Tannadice and returned to Glasgow with a convincing 4-0 victory over Dundee United, despite the home side striking the woodwork five times.
That left the two Glasgow giants heading into the quarter-final draw — and when the balls were pulled out, the outcome was exactly the one neither side could ignore.
Rangers would host Celtic.
Suddenly, McInnes had his first competitive Old Firm fixture to prepare for.
And there is considerably more at stake than simply bragging rights.
Another Ibrox meeting has immediately brought back the ticket debate (Bad News for Celtic):
One of the biggest talking points surrounding the fixture is unlikely to involve a player at all.
Instead, it concerns the number of Celtic supporters who will be allowed inside Ibrox.
That issue has particular significance because of what happened the last time Celtic travelled to Ibrox in the Scottish Cup.
On that occasion, Celtic were able to take a sizeable travelling support because Scottish Cup regulations allow visiting clubs to claim up to 20 per cent of the permitted stadium capacity.
That resulted in around 7,500 Celtic supporters being accommodated at Ibrox.
But the Premier Sports Cup is governed by different regulations.
There is no equivalent 20 per cent entitlement for the visiting club in this competition. Recent reporting indicates that a large Broomloan-style allocation is therefore not expected, with a figure around the normal five-per-cent mark being discussed — roughly 2,500 Celtic supporters — although the final arrangement has not been officially confirmed.
That is a huge difference from the atmosphere created by the bumper away support earlier this year.
And naturally, it has already made the ticket situation one of the most intriguing subplots of the quarter-final.
McInnes now has his biggest test yet
The Rangers manager will have plenty of reasons to feel encouraged.
His team finally found their rhythm against St Mirren, scoring five times and looking considerably more dangerous going forward.
McInnes also has several weeks to strengthen and settle his squad before the Celtic game.
That could make the Rangers side facing Celtic in September look very different from the one that struggled during the opening weeks of the campaign.
But Celtic will provide a completely different examination.
The Hoops have already shown that they can be ruthless in this competition, and O’Neill will know that a victory at Ibrox would immediately send a powerful message.
There is also the psychological element.
The two clubs are not only meeting in the cup.
They are due to face each other again at Celtic Park shortly afterwards in the Premiership.
That means whichever side wins the first encounter could enter the second derby with a significant confidence boost.
Then came the fixture confirmation
For supporters who had been waiting to discover exactly when this blockbuster would take place, the details have now been settled.
The Rangers-Celtic quarter-final will be played at Ibrox on Sunday, September 13.
And the kick-off time is earlier than some supporters might have expected.
The match will begin at 12 noon.
The Old Firm showdown will also be broadcast live on Premier Sports, making it the headline fixture of the quarter-final weekend.
That gives supporters plenty of time to prepare for what could be one of the most intense afternoons of the season.
The other quarter-finals
The Old Firm clash will bring the quarter-final action to a close.
Stenhousemuir’s reward for their stunning victory over Motherwell is a home meeting with Hearts.
Ross County will welcome Hibernian, while Kilmarnock face Aberdeen in the other all-top-flight encounter.
But realistically, most of the attention will be concentrated on Ibrox.
Rangers against Celtic.
McInnes against O’Neill.
A place in the League Cup semi-finals at stake.
And another Old Firm encounter waiting just seven days later.
For Celtic supporters, though, there is now another question hanging over the entire occasion.
How many of them will actually be inside Ibrox?
Unlike the Scottish Cup meeting, they cannot simply point to the 20-per-cent rule and expect another 7,500-ticket allocation.
Rangers and Celtic now have to settle the precise ticketing arrangements, with the clubs’ final decision likely to become one of the biggest talking points before the September showdown.
Nafisa
