Beginning with the next game at Celtic Park, this decision revokes an arrangement that permitted 2,500 away fans at each game. In order to avoid public unrest, the agreement required both clubs to build safety nets in the away sections.
Due to serious stadium-related problems this summer, Rangers have not yet begun installing the required netting, a process that takes a lot of planning permission from Glasgow City Council and lead time. Despite promises, nothing has changed, and the council has not received any applications for the necessary safety installations—a worry they have refused to acknowledge.
Rangers, citing the reciprocal nature of the original arrangement, expressed dismay at Celtic’s action and stated that they would not provide tickets to Celtic supporters for the New Year derby at Ibrox. The team maintains that it will honour its end of the bargain by the New Year’s match.
“RANGERS was today informed that Celtic will make no allocation for away fans for the September Old Firm game,” the team said in a statement posted on their website.
“Both teams had a clear allocation to implement, and Rangers was making every effort to follow through on that commitment.
“We can confirm that there will be no away allocation for the January Old Firm match at Ibrox in the interim. This aligns with the mutual respect ingrained in the accord struck between the teams and the SPFL.
Due to doubts over the genuineness of Rangers’ pledges, the absence of progress on safety improvements at Ibrox has prompted Celtic to put the safety and security of its supporters first by limiting away allocations until the mutually agreed-upon safety improvements are substantiated.
This summer, Rangers demonstrated once and for all that they are unreliable sources of information on Ibrox.
