NafisaRangers chairman Andrew Cavenagh has expanded on the growing tension surrounding away allocations for next season’s Old Firm fixtures at Ibrox, following a controversial ticketing dispute that has sparked debate across Scottish football.
The row centres around the final derby of the season, where Celtic reportedly offered Rangers 2,400 tickets, but with conditions attached that would have restricted access for certain supporter groups, specifically sections of the Union Bears following previous incidents at Ibrox earlier in the campaign.
The situation quickly escalated into a wider disagreement between both clubs over control, fairness, and safety concerns, with Rangers strongly rejecting the proposed terms.
Looking ahead to next season, Cavenagh gave further detail on Rangers’ stance and the breakdown in discussions between the two Glasgow rivals.
“Celtic gave us notice that they intended to either exclude all of our fans if we didn’t agree to not give tickets to some sections of our fans. We fought that, and we fought it on principle,” he said. [STV]
He stressed that Rangers’ objection was not just about ticket numbers, but about what he believes is a fundamental issue of authority and fairness between competing clubs.
“The two principles we were fighting were that one club should not be able to tell another club which of their fans can come to a match, and we also didn’t think that a club should create a sporting advantage through that.
Cavenagh also confirmed that Rangers escalated the matter to the SPFL in an attempt to challenge the decision, but ultimately the ruling did not go in their favour.
“We took that to the SPFL, we got the decision against us, and we have now asked the SPFL to release the materials that were submitted by both clubs, as well as the decision.
He added that transparency is now a key demand moving forward, insisting that clarity is needed not just for the clubs involved but for the wider public and governing bodies.
“We think that’s incredibly important, as we talk about the right allocations going forward, it is important that all the clubs, the public, and maybe even the government see the basis of that decision.”
The situation has added further heat to an already intense Old Firm rivalry, with both sides now under pressure to reach a more stable agreement on ticket allocations ahead of next season’s fixtures at Ibrox and Celtic Park.
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