Rangers away allocation refused for final Old Firm amid Union Bears row

Rangers have been refused an away ticket allocation for the final Old Firm match of the season after rejecting conditions set by Celtic over seats for the Union Bears fan group.

The Ibrox club said Celtic informed them on Thursday that no tickets would be made available to visiting supporters for the upcoming fixture unless the Ibrox club agreed not to allocate seats to members of the supporters group.

Rangers have said they had “firmly rejected” those terms and have now escalated the matter to the SPFL board.

That means the Ibrox side will have no supporters at the game on May 10.

A statement from Rangers read: “Yesterday, Celtic FC informed us that they will not provide any tickets for the forthcoming game to our supporters unless we agree not to allocate tickets to members of the Union Bears.

“We have firmly rejected those conditions and have referred the matter to the SPFL Board.”

Fans clashed on the field at Ibrox after Celtic knocked Rangers out of the Scottish Cup on penalties on March 8.

Police made a number of arrests following the violence, which saw officers, supporters, members of coaching staff, and players assaulted.

The statement added that Rangers have been “clear in condemning the actions” of those involved.

It read: “Rangers is fully committed to safety at football matches, and we have been clear in condemning the actions of certain individuals on 8 March. We have been attempting to work with Celtic to mitigate any security concerns for the upcoming match.

“At a crucial stage of the season, the removal of away supporters from one of the defining fixtures of the competition would introduce a clear and material sporting imbalance. It would also set a precedent with potentially significant consequences for the league in future seasons.

“This game is an opportunity for Scottish football to demonstrate that it can respond constructively to recent events. It should be a showcase occasion and a chance to rebuild confidence in how matches of this nature are managed.

“We want what supporters of both clubs expect – a match decided on the pitch, with both sets of supporters present.

“We ask the SPFL board to uphold the integrity of the competition, enforce the rules and ensure that the agreement in place between both clubs is honoured.”

In a statement, Celtic said they are “surprised and disappointed” that Rangers have not agreed to the request.

Celtic said: “Following the most recent derby match at Ibrox, Celtic Football Club has engaged in dialogue with Rangers FC with regards to ticketing for the forthcoming game at Celtic Park.

“To be clear, we are ready and willing to make the full allocation as normal available to Rangers FC, subject to a condition regarding distribution to a particular section.

“Celtic’s priority will always be the safety of those attending Celtic Park, and following a detailed risk assessment with regards to the forthcoming match, the club has made a reasonable request of Rangers FC that tickets are not distributed to a section of supporters which very recently and identifiably engaged in serious violence and disorder involving Celtic supporters, staff, police and stewards.

“To our surprise and disappointment Rangers have not agreed to this request. Celtic are ready to engage further with the SPFL and Rangers FC on this matter.”

The SPFL confirmed that it had received a request for a determination from Rangers after the two clubs failed to reachagreement on the ticketing arrangements.

An SPFL spokesperson said: “The SPFL Board will now appoint a sub-committee to consider Rangers’ request for a determination under SPFL Rule I27.”