# Sanctions against Celtic and Rangers for crowd disorder

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/sanctions-against-celtic-and-rangers-for-crowd-disorder
> Updated: 2026-09-04T12:47:13.000Z. Sources: 25. Developments: 2.

Following severe crowd disturbances during a Scottish Cup quarter-final in March, football authorities have imposed significant sanctions on Celtic and Rangers. An independent investigation into the incident reported “mass panic” and “life-threatening violence” after supporters stormed the pitch, resulting in injuries to police officers and 43 arrests.

In response, the Scottish Football Association (SFA) ordered both clubs to play their next Scottish Cup home matches behind closed doors and issued fines of £100,000 to be paid to visiting teams. The SFA warned that further unacceptable behavior through the 2027-28 season could trigger additional stadium closures.

Additionally, the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) has implemented a ban on away supporters for all Glasgow derby matches, including league and League Cup fixtures, for the remainder of the 2026/27 season. This measure follows tensions regarding ticket allocations; Celtic manager Martin O’Neill described the ban as “inevitable” after Rangers offered a reduced allocation of only 300 tickets for an upcoming fixture, a move Celtic rejected as insufficient compared to their previous 5% agreement. The SPFL intends for this period to allow clubs, police, and stakeholders to review safety findings and implement necessary precautions for future fixtures.

## Timeline

### 2026-09-04: Celtic and Rangers Old Firm derbies to have no away fans this season

Away fans are banned from all Celtic and Rangers Old Firm derby matches this season in the Scottish Premiership and League Cup following violent crowd disorder at Ibrox in March.

16 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/spfl-bans-away-fans-from-glasgow-derbies-for-remainder-of-season

### 2026-08-28: Celtic and Rangers ordered to play Scottish Cup home games behind closed doors

The Scottish FA has ordered Celtic and Rangers to play their next Scottish Cup home matches behind closed doors and fined both clubs £100,000 following crowd disorder in March.

11 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/celtic-and-rangers-ordered-to-play-scottish-cup-home-games-behind-closed-doors

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Cite as: Sanctions against Celtic and Rangers for crowd disorder. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/sanctions-against-celtic-and-rangers-for-crowd-disorder