Celtic and Rangers will have no away supporters at their SPFL meetings for the rest of the 2026-27 season after the league confirmed a temporary ban. The move covers Old Firm fixtures in SPFL competitions, including the Scottish Premiership and Scottish League Cup, and follows last season's disruption at Ibrox as well as the latest row over ticket allocations.

An SPFL statement, quoted by independent.co.uk, said: "After further discussions involving both clubs and the SPFL, agreement has been reached that there will be no away supporters for matches involving Rangers and Celtic in SPFL competitions for the remainder of the 2026/27 season."

The decision and what it covers

The important detail is the competition wording. The SPFL has framed this as applying to matches involving Celtic and Rangers in SPFL competitions, which is the broadest and clearest version of the decision. In practice this season, that means Old Firm fixtures in the Scottish Premiership and the Scottish League Cup.

The league has also been careful to describe it as temporary, not permanent. In a further statement quoted by rte.ie, the SPFL said: "This temporary arrangement will allow both clubs, together with the SPFL, Police Scotland and other relevant stakeholders, to give proper consideration to the findings and recommendations of the Independent Review, take forward the necessary actions and ensure sufficient time is available to plan future fixtures thoroughly."

That review language matters more than the league trying to soften the optics. This is a ban for the rest of the season, but it has been left open to review beyond that point.

The Ibrox dispute behind the rethink

The wider reset did not come out of nowhere. The SPFL said the arrangements for the coming fixtures were reconsidered after the events of 8 March and the publication of the Independent Review.

The immediate trigger was the Premier Sports Cup tie at Ibrox on 13 September. Celtic challenged Rangers' decision to allocate them only 300 tickets for that game. According to rte.ie, Rangers had been close to about 2,500 seats before that reduction, while Celtic had previously received about 8,000 tickets under competition rules for the Scottish Cup quarter-final in March.

The SPFL's explanation backed Rangers' right to make a risk-based call on that fixture, saying: "For the Premier Sports Cup tie at Ibrox, Rangers proposed a reduced away allocation based on its assessment of the circumstances and risks associated with that fixture."

That does not mean the 300-ticket offer was ever likely to hold without a fight. Once the issue moved beyond one cup tie and back toward the broader fallout from March, the cleaner solution for the league was to remove away supporters entirely from the remaining SPFL meetings this season.

The September schedule now looks different

The first obvious effect lands quickly. Rangers host Celtic on 13 September in the Premier Sports Cup, and Celtic then host Rangers in the Scottish Premiership on 20 September. Both clubs also have a 15-day gap from their 5 September fixtures to that league meeting on 20 September.

Form will still shape the football, of course. Celtic have won four of their last five matches, while Rangers have won three of their last five. But the atmosphere around both September dates has already changed, because the usual away allocation and the arguments around it have been taken off the table.

Supporters will not like it, and there is no real way to dress that up as a positive for the fixture. The SPFL has still decided that a season-long reset, with review to come later, is preferable to trying to patch up each Old Firm game one by one.

The first match affected by the decision is Rangers against Celtic at Ibrox on 13 September.

FAQ

Why are away fans banned for Celtic vs Rangers matches this season?

The SPFL said no away supporters will attend Rangers and Celtic matches in SPFL competitions for the rest of the 2026-27 season after March's disruption at Ibrox and a fresh rethink over fixture arrangements. The league described it as a temporary arrangement so clubs, the SPFL, Police Scotland and other stakeholders can consider the Independent Review and plan future fixtures.

Is the Celtic vs Rangers away fans ban permanent?

No. The SPFL has described it as a temporary arrangement, not a permanent change. It applies to Rangers and Celtic matches in SPFL competitions for the remainder of the 2026-27 season and is intended to give time for the findings and recommendations of the Independent Review to be considered.

What started the latest Celtic and Rangers ticket dispute?

The immediate flashpoint was Rangers' proposed allocation for the Premier Sports Cup tie at Ibrox on 13 September. Celtic challenged the decision after being offered 300 tickets. The SPFL said Rangers proposed the reduced away allocation based on its assessment of the circumstances and risks around that fixture.

Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →