Grossly unfair- Ibrox anger as SPFL is found to be toothless over Glasgow Derby tickets

The Glasgow Derby on December 30 will be played in front of home fans only.

Since 800 Celtic fans attended Ibrox on 2 January 2023 there has been no away fans at the fixture but the next match was brought to the attention of the SPFL.

Celtic were accused of failing to provide a reasonable number of tickets but refused to supply the SPFL with enough information and were found to have broken SPFL rules.

It seems that there is no punishment for breaking this rule, this afternoon a statement was released from Ibrox expressing their frustration at the decision:

DESPITE winning a case put to an SPFL Board Sub-Committee, Rangers FC, with extreme disappointment, will not have any supporters present at Parkhead for the Old Firm match on December 30.

The Sub-Committee agreed with Rangers that Celtic FC’s stance of providing zero tickets to Rangers’ fans was unreasonable. 

Despite the fact that the Sub-Committee agreed with Rangers, the Sub-Committee was unwilling to determine what a ‘reasonable’ number of tickets for the fixture would be. 

The Sub-Committee was unable to determine this reasonable number due to the fact that the other party had not submitted enough evidence on this issue, despite having ample opportunity to do so in the weeks and months leading up to the hearing.

Rangers’ position has always been clear. We want away fans from all clubs at our stadium and wish for that to be reciprocated when we travel to other clubs’ grounds.

This decision calls into question the effectiveness, and highlights the procedural defects, of SPFL Rule I27. 

To Rangers, it is grossly unfair that if a club (in this case Celtic) fails to submit sufficient evidence as part of such proceedings, it effectively ties the hands of a Sub-Committee in being able to determine what a reasonable number of tickets should be; especially when the Sub-Committee agrees that the reasonable number cannot be zero.

Conversely, if a club (in this case Rangers) complies fully and provides all necessary information in good faith, it can still be penalised.

The club will consider its position before participating in any further SPFL led hearings. 

Rangers, alongside several other SPFL clubs, also looks forward to the overdue findings of the ongoing, protracted SPFL Governance review. 

Rangers will be making no further comment at this time.

Celtic haven’t made any official comment on the away ticket issue but it has been suggested by club sources that they had safety concerns over taking tickets for Ibrox.

In light of recent results having home fans only on December 30 will pile more pressure on Brendan Rodgers’ side who have dropped eight points in their last five matches.