Police Scotland clarifies stance on Celtic vs Rangers ticket allocation

Follow us on Google Discover

There was immediate discussion when Celtic discovered who their next Scottish Cup opponents would be.

The Hoops are set to take on Rangers at Ibrox in the quarter-final, which is a headline by itself – but all the talk quickly shifted to what might happen off the pitch.

The ongoing debate over away allocations in the Glasgow Derby has been going for nearly a decade now. Back in 2018, Rangers decided to scrap the traditional away sections that used to make these fixtures stand out.

In recent years, allocations have increased somewhat, but they’re still nowhere near what they used to be. While these changes have been visible in league play, the Scottish Cup appears to open up some different options.

Police Scotland weighs in on Celtic vs Rangers allocation

As the visiting side, Celtic are entitled to ask for up to 20% of the stadium’s capacity under Scottish Cup rules – which could mean as many as 10,000 tickets.

That’s actually more than what the Broomloan stand holds. Many Celtic fans will remember that stand being packed with their supporters during past derbies.

The spotlight has also been on local authorities, with some wondering if they’d step in to stop a return to larger away allocations.

But according to a new statement, it looks like the decision will be left to those within football itself.

A Police Scotland spokesperson told the Daily Record: “Ticket allocation is a matter for the clubs and football authorities.”

“A proportionate policing plan will be in place to maintain public safety and minimise disruption ahead of the fixture at Ibrox in March 2026.”

This cup meeting is also notable because it’ll be the first between the sides outside Hampden since that memorable double-header back in 2011, excluding matches affected by Covid.

The first leg ended with ten-man Celtic forcing a replay at Ibrox, thanks to Scott Brown’s equaliser – which was followed by his now-famous ‘Broony’ celebration.

The replay wasn’t just about football. It became known as one of the more infamous derby days. Three Rangers players saw red cards while Neil Lennon clashed with Ally McCoist post-match right near their technical areas.