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SPFL ban away fans at Old Firm matches for rest of the campaign

There was crowd trouble at Ibrox last March
There was crowd trouble at Ibrox last MarchRussell Cheyne / Reuters

Scottish champions Celtic and arch-rivals Rangers have agreed that no ⁠away supporters will attend matches between the two teams in Scottish Professional Football League ‌competitions for the rest of the season, the SPFL ‌said on Friday.

The temporary arrangement follows an ‌independent Scottish FA review of events surrounding the ‌Scottish Cup quarter-final between the sides at Ibrox on March 8th and subsequent talks involving the SPFL, both clubs and Police Scotland.

The match was ‌marred by a pitch invasion ⁠and clashes between ‌rival supporters after Celtic won a penalty shootout following ​a goalless stalemate, with fireworks thrown while police officers and stewards formed a barrier ​between the two groups to regain order as players hurried off the field.

Rangers and Celtic ⁠had previously agreed ​to give visiting fans an allocation of 5% of available capacity at both grounds.

Rangers proposed a smaller allocation for the Scottish League Cup ‌quarter-final on September 13th after assessing the circumstances and risks surrounding the fixture. Celtic rejected that proposal and asked the SPFL to make a determination.

Following further discussions, both clubs and the league agreed to exclude away supporters while they consider the review’s findings and recommendations and allow more time to plan future fixtures.

Safety ‌and security remain the priority, the SPFL said, ​adding that the arrangement could be reviewed ‌if circumstances changed materially during the season.

Dating back to 1888, the Old Firm derby is one of the oldest and most intense rivalries in world football and has ⁠historically been shaped ⁠by political and religious ‌division.