For the first time in two years, away fans will be present at a Glasgow Derby as Celtic taken on their city neighbours this weekend…
The 2,500 theRangers supporters at Celtic Park will have a different experience, as new safety protocols are now in effect.
The ongoing ticket dispute caused by theRangers supporters themselves, has continued since 2023, with both clubs preventing away fans from entering their stadiums, citing fan safety as one of the main reasons.
Celtic physio was scarred for life at Ibrox
Indeed, it was back in April 2022 that Celtic physio Daniel Friel needed four stitches after being hit in the head with a bottle at Ibrox. In the same game, a smashed glass bottle was scattered along Joe Hart’s six-yard box as the two teams emerged from the tunnel for the second half.
A Rangers fan has been jailed for a year after throwing a bottle at a Celtic physiotherapist during an Old Firm game. pic.twitter.com/ebKZlWcOsr
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) March 29, 2023
It was only in January that Arne Engels was struck by a coin when attempting to take a corner in the final minutes of the last meeting between the two teams. Brendan Rodgers was also targeted with a missile during the same encounter.
However, an agreement has been reached to lift the away fan ban, allowing four percent of tickets to be sold to visiting supporters. Meanwhile, photos on social media show black netting installed around the away section.
READ THIS…Jailed – Corporate thug who bottled Celtic physio at Ibrox behind bars after sentencing
Located in the corner of the stadium between the Main Stand and the Lisbon Lions Stand, theRangers fans will be enclosed by black safety netting following a series of missile-throwing incidents in this fixture all coming from theRangers support.
It’s believed that similar precautions will be implemented for next season’s return matches at Ibrox, while Celtic officials have put up a £2.6million segregation barrier to separate rival supporters on Sunday.
A planning application was submitted to Glasgow City Council
A planning application submitted to Glasgow City Council last summer read: “Installation of temporary netting to the Southeast corner between the home and away support. The netting is installed before each Celtic vs theRangers match and disassembled after.”
So no other visiting supporters will be deemed dangerous enough to be fenced in by Celtic, while at Ibrox the nets are needed to keep the away support safe from theRangers supporters after numerous serious assaults and injuries caused by theRangers throwing items including Buckfast bottles, batteries and coins into that small away section that Celtic eventually deemed unsafe for our supporters to use.
The idea of installing nets also came from theRangers although they failed to honour their promise and that’s how we ended up with no away fans in the ground at all.
Stems back to Beautiful Sunday
This all stems back to Beautiful Sunday in March 2018 when Odsonne Edouard’s goal in the 3-2 win for a Celtic side down to ten men finally broke theRangers support. A campaign was launched on their biggest fans forum to reduce the size of the away support and to deny Celtic supporters the traditional Celtic end in the Free. Broomloan stand.
Sunday’s match is the penultimate derby of the season and holds little significance on the pitch, as Rodgers’ men sit 16 points ahead at the top of the Scottish Premiership with the Hoops just three victories away from securing the title. Wins against theRangers and Hearts at Celtic Park will set up a title party opportunity at McDiarmid Park at the start of April and the Perth club have already confirmed that Celtic will be given three stands instead of two for this match.
For now, all attention will be on Celtic Park this Sunday, particularly in the stands, to see if the new safety measures are effective after the prolonged disputes between the clubs, which all stem back to theRangers support’s campaign to have the away allocation dramatically reduced after Beautiful Sunday.
Conor Spence
Sign up and receive a free copy of Henrik Larsson’s new book, but hurry as this brilliant offer ends this Sunday. All books will be posted out early April by Celtic Pools. Just click on image below…
To keep the animals out.