Both Glasgow clubs are pushing back against the Scottish FA’s punishment for the Ibrox pitch invasion, with the sport’s governing body now set to hear their case next month.
Celtic and Rangers have appealed against the Scottish FA decision ordering both clubs to play their next home Scottish Cup ties behind closed doors, along with the £100,000 fines handed down after fans clashed on the pitch at the end of last season’s quarter-final at Ibrox. Appeal hearings have been set for Monday, 26 October.
The development was confirmed via BBC Sport on 25 September, though neither club had commented publicly on the substance of its appeal at that point. Celtic’s original response to the sanctions made clear the club felt the punishment was disproportionate given the context of a moment of emotion and celebration, and pointedly noted that Celtic were not the home side responsible for stadium safety that night at Ibrox.
What Happened at Ibrox
The whole saga stems from that goalless quarter-final at Ibrox, settled by a 4-2 penalty shoot-out win for Celtic. Supporters from both sides spilled onto the pitch after the final whistle, with objects and pyrotechnics thrown and officers and stewards injured in the chaos that followed.
Police Scotland made 43 arrests in the aftermath. An independent review commissioned by the Scottish FA concluded that a crushing incident was a real and foreseeable risk, pointing to non-compliant Ultra group fans surging past police and stewards. Both clubs had admitted the original charges, which is worth remembering whenever anyone tries to paint this appeal as Celtic or Rangers disputing what actually happened that night – as covered in more detail in the original closed-door sanctions and fines.
The Wider Fallout for Supporters
Both clubs were warned that a second home Scottish Cup match could also be played without fans if there’s any repeat of unacceptable conduct – a suspended sanction hanging over both clubs regardless of how this appeal goes. That warning sits alongside a separate agreement reached earlier this month for no away fans at Old Firm derbies in this season’s SPFL competitions, a decision with obvious knock-on effects for atmosphere, revenue and the whole experience of away fans at Glasgow derbies.
That absence was already visible at Celtic Park, where there were no Rangers fans present for Sunday’s Scottish Premiership fixture. It’s a stark image of where this dispute has left the fixture, whatever the rights and wrongs of the original punishment.
What Happens Next
The Scottish FA’s appeal hearings on 26 October will determine whether the closed-door orders and £100,000 fines are upheld, adjusted or thrown out entirely. Until then, both clubs remain on notice – any further trouble at a Scottish Cup fixture risks triggering that second closed-door match, so there’s plenty riding on how the panel views the case this time around.
Mon The Hoops.
