Rangers have turned to the SPFL after Celtic refused to allocate away tickets for the final Old Firm derby of the season unless the Ibrox club agrees to block its Union Bears ultras group from attending.
The dispute is now set to be reviewed by a sub committee of the SPFL board, which is expected to meet next week ahead of the clash on Sunday, May 10.
Tensions have been simmering since the Scottish Cup quarter final on March 8, when scenes turned chaotic at Ibrox following Celtic’s penalty shootout win.
Supporters from both sides made their way onto the pitch, and the fallout from that afternoon is still being felt. An investigation led by sports event consultant Mark Blackbourne is ongoing, with findings yet to be delivered.
With the title race still wide open involving Heart of Midlothian and both Glasgow rivals, the stakes for the upcoming fixture could hardly be higher.
Against that backdrop, Celtic have pushed for tighter control over ticket distribution, specifically calling for the exclusion of a section of the Rangers support they believe was directly involved in the trouble last month.
Rangers have made their position clear.
“Celtic FC informed us that they will not provide any tickets for the forthcoming game to our supporters unless we agree not to allocate tickets to members of the Union Bears.
“We have firmly rejected those conditions and have referred the matter to the SPFL board.”
The Ibrox club insist they have already condemned the behaviour seen on March 8 and say they have been working towards ensuring the next meeting passes off without incident.
“We have been clear in condemning the actions of certain individuals on 8 March” and on ensuring match safety.
“We have been attempting to work with Celtic to mitigate any security concerns for the upcoming match,” they say.
Rangers also warned that removing away fans from a fixture of this scale risks affecting the competitive balance at a crucial stage of the season.
“At a crucial stage of the season, the removal of away supporters from one of the defining fixtures of the competition would introduce a clear and material sporting imbalance.
“It would also set a precedent with potentially significant consequences for the league in future seasons.
“This game is an opportunity for Scottish football to demonstrate that it can respond constructively to recent events.
“It should be a showcase occasion and a chance to rebuild confidence in how matches of this nature are managed.”
They have now called on the league to step in and resolve the issue.
Rangers want the SPFL board to “uphold the integrity of the competition, enforce the rules and ensure that the agreement in place between both clubs is honoured”.
Celtic, for their part, insist they are not trying to shut Rangers supporters out entirely. Instead, they say their request is focused on safety following what happened at Ibrox.
“Celtic’s priority will always be the safety of those attending Celtic Park and, following a detailed risk assessment with regards to the forthcoming match, the club has made a reasonable request of Rangers FC that tickets are not distributed to a section of supporters which very recently and identifiably engaged in serious violence and disorder involving Celtic supporters, staff, police and stewards,” the club stated.
“To our surprise and disappointment, Rangers have not agreed to this request. Celtic are ready to engage further with the SPFL and Rangers FC on this matter.”
With both sides digging in and the SPFL now involved, the final call could shape not just this fixture, but how future Old Firm matches are handled.
