NafisaCeltic supporters have been handed a major blow ahead of their next meeting with Rangers after the SPFL finally stepped in to settle a bitter dispute that has dragged on for weeks.
The Old Firm is one of the most fiercely contested fixtures in world football, with the atmosphere generated by both sets of supporters forming a huge part of the occasion.
But when Celtic travel to Ibrox on September 13, the match will look very different.
The long-running disagreement between the two Glasgow giants over away allocations has failed to produce a compromise, leaving the SPFL with little choice but to impose a dramatic measure for the remainder of the 2026/27 campaign.
The league has now officially confirmed that Celtic and Rangers fans will be banned from attending each other’s stadiums for the rest of the season in SPFL competitions.
The decision follows weeks of deadlock between the clubs, with the immediate dispute triggered by Rangers’ proposal to provide Celtic with just 300 tickets for the upcoming Premier Sports Cup quarter-final at Ibrox.
That figure represented a huge reduction from the traditional away allocation and was also below an arrangement that had already been agreed following the disorder surrounding the Scottish Cup quarter-final between the sides in March.
The previous agreement had reduced the normal allocation of around 8,000 seats to 2,500, but Rangers subsequently proposed another drastic cut ahead of the September 13 meeting.
Celtic rejected the offer and requested that the SPFL determine the matter.
Despite further discussions and mediation involving the clubs, the league and Police Scotland, no agreement could be reached.
The result is an unprecedented decision that will affect every SPFL meeting between the bitter rivals for the rest of the campaign.
Rather than imposing another reduced allocation, the SPFL has confirmed that there will be no visiting supporters at any SPFL fixture involving Celtic and Rangers for the remainder of the season.
That means Celtic fans will not be allowed into the away end when their team travels to Ibrox, while Rangers supporters will face the same restriction when their side heads to Celtic Park.
For supporters who have followed their clubs home and away for years, the decision represents a huge disappointment.
The latest development stems from the chaos that followed Celtic’s Scottish Cup quarter-final penalty shootout victory at Ibrox on March 8, when supporters from both clubs entered the pitch and clashes subsequently broke out.
The Scottish FA’s Independent Review into those events has now become central to the discussions over how future Old Firm fixtures should be staged.
The SPFL said the decision would allow the findings of the Independent Review to receive “proper consideration” while giving the relevant parties enough time to prepare future fixtures thoroughly.
The league also pointed to the need to provide “greater certainty for supporters” and avoid “repeated uncertainty around ticketing arrangements”.
Celtic and Rangers have now reluctantly accepted the decision while continuing to work towards a longer-term solution.
All parties have committed to working constructively during the period, with safety and security remaining the priority.
However, that does little to soften the immediate blow for Celtic supporters.
The Parkhead faithful will now have to watch their team face Rangers at Ibrox without the traditional backing from thousands of travelling supporters.
The same will apply when Rangers visit Celtic Park.
The decision also means the September 13 Premier Sports Cup quarter-final at Ibrox will become the first major Old Firm meeting played under the new arrangement, with Celtic fans unable to occupy an away section inside the stadium.
That is a dramatic change for a fixture in which the travelling support has traditionally played such a significant role.
There has already been anger surrounding the way the dispute developed, particularly because Celtic had previously been expecting a significantly larger allocation than the 300 tickets proposed by Rangers.
With neither club able to find common ground, the SPFL has effectively removed the allocation dispute altogether by taking away away-supporter allocations for the remainder of the campaign.
Importantly, however, the ban is not necessarily permanent.
The SPFL has confirmed that the arrangement will be subject to review should circumstances materially change during the season.
The clubs, league and other relevant authorities will therefore have an opportunity to reassess the situation while work continues on a solution that can allow supporters to safely attend future Old Firm fixtures.
For now, though, Celtic supporters have been left with a bitter reality.
The Old Firm will continue to be played, but the familiar sight of thousands of Celtic supporters filling the away end at Ibrox — and Rangers fans doing the same at Celtic Park — has disappeared for the remainder of the 2026/27 season.
And with the first test coming against Rangers on September 13, Parkhead supporters have every reason to be furious about the latest development.
Nafisa
