Celtic and Rangers had agreed a five per cent allocation for visiting supporters would return this season; there will now be no away fans at games on September 1 & January 2, both live on Sky Sports; SPFL confirms travelling supporters will return from the third league meeting in March
Friday 16 August 2024 15:18, UK
Away fans will return to Old Firm matches later this season after a new agreement between Celtic and Rangers.
On Wednesday it was revealed there would be no visiting supporters at the first two league derbies - despite a deal being struck in March for this campaign.
An allocation of around five per cent was due to be in place ahead of the first Old Firm game at Celtic Park in September - live on Sky Sports - provided necessary requirements were met at both stadiums.
Celtic were believed to be preparing for the fixture in just over a fortnight but wrote to Rangers confirming they would not issue away tickets due to fears their rivals had not taken the required steps at Ibrox for the following derby, which could have meant Celtic fans were locked out of that game.
However, it is understood Rangers are confident they would have completed the required works ahead of the clash at Ibrox on January 2 - but as a result of the developments also withdrew the away allocation for that game.
Philippe Clement's side are currently playing at Hampden Park due to a delay to works on their Copland Road Stand at Ibrox.
The SPFL - who stepped in last season to ensure a return to away crowds after six league games without travelling fans - confirmed the next two derbies would have a "zero allocation for away supporters".
Celtic and Rangers' next league meeting is set for March 15 at Celtic Park, and the SPFL confirmed from that date onwards both clubs will provide "ticket allocations of around five per cent of respective stadium capacity for away supporters" and added, "this remains subject to all necessary requirements being satisfied at both Ibrox and Celtic Park."
An SPFL spokesperson said: "The presence of away fans is a vital ingredient of the passion, drama and excitement that is the hallmark of the William Hill Premiership.
"We are pleased that Rangers and Celtic are committed to achieving the return of away supporters to their derby matches as soon as possible."
In 2018, Rangers tore up the long-standing convention that saw about 7,500 fans travel across the city on derby days and reduced that figure to around 10 per cent of that total. Inevitably, Celtic followed suit.
The situation developed that neither club accepted tickets for each other's grounds for safety reasons.
Celtic then refused Rangers' request for tickets for the December 30 game last year, with the SPFL at that stage unable to enforce vague regulations over away allocations.
When asked about the developments, Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers said: "The club's job is to protect the support and if there's not the guarantee that come the second fixture then I think it's only logical that you wouldn't reciprocate.
"Celtic have played their part in what they were asked to do. Nothing of this was Celtic's issue, nothing. When you go back to when all this was started it's nothing to do with Celtic, Celtic gets dragged into this here as being a Celtic Rangers thing.
"It's not a Celtic-Rangers thing, this is a Rangers thing. Where Celtic are asked to have this agreement to make the stadium safe we plough money into that and we do the work which started months ago.
"On both parties that hasn't been agreed. It's not complicated, it hasn't been done. It's not great faith if we allow Rangers supporters in then we get to January and our own supporters can't get in.
"The agreement hasn't been upheld so Celtic rightly have to defend their supporters and the club and sadly the Rangers supporters miss out on this game and Celtic in the return game.
"Let's hope after that we can find a way to get the supporters in."
Meanwhile, Rangers boss Philippe Clement said: "I'm not involved in these talks but I hope for football games always that there are two sets of fans.
"There are some things from the past but I don't know all the details so I'm not the right person to ask or the right person to ask if it was possible now.
"I like to see football where on two sides there are fans, it's always better for the product and the players for everybody."
