Celtic lead the Scottish Premiership by five points from Rangers who have two games in hand; Watch Celtic vs Rangers in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday December 30, live on Sky Sports. Kick-off 12.30pm
Thursday 21 December 2023 10:51, UK
There will be no Rangers supporters at the Old Firm match against Celtic at Parkhead on Saturday December 30, live on Sky Sports.
There were no away fans at the first derby fixture this season at Ibrox and likewise at the last two league games between Celtic and Rangers at the end of last season due to a ticketing dispute over fan safety.
Rangers say that despite winning a case put to an SPFL board sub-committee which agreed Celtic's stance of providing zero tickets to the club was unreasonable, an appropriate number couldn't be reached due to lack of evidence submitted by Celtic.
A Rangers statement read: "It is grossly unfair that if a club (in this case Celtic) fails to submit sufficient evidence as part of such proceedings, it effectively ties the hands of a sub-committee in being able to determine what a reasonable number of tickets should be; especially when the sub-committee agrees that the reasonable number cannot be zero.
"Conversely, if a club (in this case Rangers) complies fully and provides all necessary information in good faith, it can still be penalised.
"Rangers' position has always been clear. We want away fans from all clubs at our stadium and wish for that to be reciprocated when we travel to other clubs' grounds."
Rangers were believed to have offered Celtic an allocation of 708 tickets for the first meeting of the season at Ibrox in September although that was turned down by Parkhead bosses due to ongoing concerns over fan safety.
Last season saw the final two Old Firm league games take place without any away supporters due to safety issues following incidents at both grounds in previous matches.
A Celtic statement read: "Given the recent serious safety and matchday issues which our fans have experienced at fixtures at Ibrox and Celtic Park, Celtic's position on this matter has been very clear.
"Celtic welcomes the opportunity to seek to resolve these important issues, and it was a hearing for which the club was very well-prepared.
"We are pleased that the sub-committee recognised the importance of safety and matchday experience issues in considering the question of a reasonable allocation for both fixtures.
"While respecting the ongoing process, Celtic stands by its decision not to allocate any tickets for away supporters for the match on December 30.
"Celtic will continue to focus on the importance of safety and matchday experience issues as we look to address reasonable allocations at Celtic Park and Ibrox from next year, in a responsible manner."
Celtic lead the Scottish Premiership by five points from Rangers who have two games in hand.
