Celtic and Rangers handed behind-closed-doors bans after Old Firm pitch invasion

Celtic and Rangers have each been ordered to play their next Scottish Cup home match behind closed doors, with a second ban possible if further crowd trouble occurs, following the fan disorder that overshadowed last season’s Old Firm quarter-final at Ibrox.

The punishment is expected to take effect when both clubs enter this season’s Scottish Cup at the fourth-round stage, scheduled for mid-January. In addition to the stadium bans, each club must pay £100,000 to whichever side they are drawn against in that fixture.

The sanctions stem from scenes at Ibrox in March, when Celtic won the quarter-final 4-2 on penalties. After the final whistle, supporters from both clubs ran onto the pitch. A total of 43 arrests have since been made in connection with the incident.

The match was notable for being the first time in seven years that Celtic were allocated the full Broomloan Stand at Ibrox, giving them approximately 7,500 away fans — a figure driven by Scottish Cup rules on ticket allocations. In contrast, the Old Firm league fixture the week before had just 2,500 away supporters, in line with a separate agreement between the clubs to allocate around five per cent of stadium capacity to visiting fans.

An independent review published last month, led by Mark Blackbourne, concluded that the incident came within a “very small margin” of becoming a violent mass confrontation. The report also criticised the Scottish FA for failing to take a sufficiently tough approach to crowd disorder.

The review specifically called out supporter groups from both clubs, stating: “The proximity of these groups to the playing surface materially increased the likelihood of a mass incursion and contributed to the rapid escalation of disorder.”

It added: “The post-match pitch invasion by several hundred Celtic supporters was wholly inexcusable. It provoked an immediate hostile response from sections of the home support, who forced past stewards and police to reach the pitch.”

Both clubs now face the prospect of a second behind-closed-doors fixture if their supporters are found to have engaged in “unacceptable conduct” at any future Scottish Cup match.