Celtic and Rangers await appeal ruling on Scottish Cup stadium closures

Celtic and Rangers are awaiting a Scottish FA appellate tribunal’s decision after presenting their challenges to stadium-closure sanctions on Monday. BBC Sport Scotland reported that both clubs had made their cases against orders requiring their next home Scottish Cup ties to be played without spectators. The tribunal will deliberate before announcing whether the penalties are upheld.

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The sanctions were announced in late August following disorder after last season’s Scottish Cup quarter-final at Ibrox. Celtic won that match in a penalty shoot-out, before supporters from both clubs entered the pitch and clashes followed. The clubs are also appealing against £100,000 fines, leaving both the financial penalties and the attendance restrictions under challenge.

BBC Sport reported that fireworks and other objects were thrown during the unrest and that police officers suffered injuries. By 25 August, 43 arrests had been made. Both clubs were also warned that further unacceptable conduct could result in a second home match being played without supporters. That additional restriction was conditional on further misconduct, rather than an automatic second closure.

An independent review published in July provided a detailed account of the incident and the preparations for the match. Led by sports event consultant Mark Blackbourne, it found failings by both clubs and criticised the Scottish FA’s approach to crowd disorder. According to the BBC’s coverage of the review, the pre-match risk assessment had rated a pitch incursion as unlikely. The review concluded that the events had come close to a large-scale violent confrontation.

The review also challenged the effectiveness of existing disciplinary measures. In its July coverage, the BBC reported that Blackbourne considered sanctions insufficiently strong and inconsistently applied, and recommended restrictions on crowd numbers as an initial response to serious incidents. Those findings formed part of the wider scrutiny of how Scottish football handles supporter misconduct, beyond the individual penalties now being appealed.

Separately, an agreement reached in September excluded away supporters from this season’s Old Firm fixtures in SPFL competitions. That arrangement concerns different matches from the Scottish Cup home ties covered by the closure orders. Monday’s hearing has not resolved those orders: the clubs must now wait for the appellate tribunal to announce its decision.