NafisaRangers supporters have been handed a decision they are unlikely to welcome, with the latest development surrounding the Old Firm threatening to take something special away from one of Scottish football’s biggest fixtures.
The rivalry between Rangers and Celtic is built on much more than what happens on the pitch. The noise, the travelling support and the atmosphere generated by thousands of opposing supporters have long been central to the occasion.
But that will now change for the remainder of the 2026/27 campaign.
The SPFL has officially confirmed that there will be no away supporters at matches between Rangers and Celtic in its competitions for the rest of the season.
The decision comes after the disorder 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 broke out.
The Scottish FA subsequently commissioned an Independent Review into the events, with the findings and recommendations now forming the backdrop to the latest decision.
Rangers and Celtic had previously agreed to provide away allocations of five per cent of available capacity for their meetings.
However, Rangers proposed a reduced allocation of 350 Celtic supporters for next weekend’s Premier Sports Cup quarter-final at Ibrox.
Celtic rejected that proposal and requested an SPFL determination.
After discussions involving Rangers, Celtic, the SPFL and Police Scotland, the league body ultimately confirmed that the restriction would go considerably further.
There will be no visiting supporters at any SPFL fixture involving Rangers and Celtic for the remainder of the season.
For Rangers fans, the decision has understandably triggered anger, particularly within the club’s Fan Advisory Board.
The Rangers FAB has strongly criticised the outcome and believes supporters are ultimately the ones being punished.
A statement read: “The Rangers Fan Advisory Board is deeply disappointed by today’s outcome which effectively bans away supporters from Old Firm matches for the remainder of the season.
“Our position is clear: Rangers supporters should be able to follow their team to every match. The absence of away fans is a poor outcome for supporters, for the fixture and for Scottish football as a whole. This is the showpiece fixture of Scottish football and it is poorer without away supporters. It should not take an entire season to find a solution that allows supporters to safely attend these matches.
“We recognise that supporters will hold differing views on how we arrived at this point. From the FAB’s perspective, Rangers has acknowledged the findings of the Independent Review, accepted accountability where appropriate and taken steps to address them. However, despite the events of 8 March and the recommendations that followed, Celtic’s refusal to accept accountability for its role in what occurred, or take responsibility for the significant damage caused at Ibrox, has once again left Rangers supporters paying the price. It’s only right that the club took a stand against this failure to accept accountability.”
The criticism from the Rangers FAB did not stop there.
The supporters’ board also turned its attention towards the SPFL, arguing that the league body should have done more to find a solution that protected the ability of fans to attend safely rather than effectively removing away support altogether.
The FAB continued: “We are also disappointed, albeit not surprised, that the SPFL has allowed the situation to reach this point. Supporters should not be left to bear the consequences of an inability, or unwillingness, to find a workable solution. In any other industry, regulators regulate; whereas in Scottish football fans are left again to suffer the consequences of inaction. An entire season without away supporters cannot be considered a satisfactory outcome for Rangers supporters or for Scottish football as a whole.
“As a result, our loyal supporters will be denied the opportunity to back their team away from home. That is the true cost of today’s decision.
“The FAB will continue to champion the interests of Rangers supporters and press for a safe, workable and permanent solution that ensures Rangers fans can follow their team home and away.”
The development is particularly painful for Rangers supporters because the club’s travelling support has traditionally been an important part of Old Firm occasions.
Instead of thousands of Rangers fans being inside Celtic Park when their side travels there, and Celtic supporters filling the away section at Ibrox, those allocations will remain empty for the rest of the campaign.
The SPFL has defended the decision as a temporary arrangement rather than a permanent solution.
The league body said the move would provide Rangers, Celtic, Police Scotland and other relevant parties with time to consider and act upon the Independent Review’s findings.
It also said the arrangement would provide certainty around matchday planning and ticketing.
There is, however, one potential route for the situation to change.
The SPFL confirmed that the position could be reviewed if circumstances “materially change” during the season.
The arrangements beyond the current campaign will also be considered ahead of the 2027/28 season.
For now, though, Rangers supporters have been left facing the reality that they will not be able to follow their team into Celtic’s stadium for SPFL fixtures this season.
And that is exactly why the Rangers FAB believes the latest decision represents such a bitter outcome.
The supporters were not involved in deciding how the dispute between the clubs and authorities would be resolved, yet they are now the ones losing the opportunity to back their team from the away end.
For Rangers fans, the heartbreak is simple: the Old Firm will continue, but without the travelling supporters who have helped make it one of the most intense fixtures in world football.
Nafisa
