Rangers and Celtic will both play their next home Scottish Cup ties behind closed doors after a Scottish FA tribunal partially upheld sanctions imposed following crowd disorder last season.
The punishments stem from the end of last season’s quarter-final at Ibrox in March, which Celtic won on penalties.
Fans from both sides invaded the pitch, fireworks and missiles were thrown, police officers were injured, and dozens of arrests followed.
An independent review later described the scenes as coming “within a very small margin of becoming a violent mass confrontation.”
Both clubs appealed the original sanction requiring a closed-doors home cup match plus a £100,000 compensatory payment to the visiting side, along with suspended further sanctions.
What happens if Rangers draw Celtic in the Scottish Cup?
The tribunal, which heard the cases on Monday, confirmed the stadium closures and the immediate £100,000 payments.
However, it set aside the suspended additional bans and payments. It also ruled that neither club need pay the £100,000 if drawn against each other.
Celtic expressed their disappointment, describing the punishment as “excessive and disproportionate” and arguing a false equivalence had been drawn between the actions of the two sets of supporters.
The decisions leave both Glasgow clubs facing empty stands for their next Scottish Cup home fixtures, but imagine the red face for the SFA and broadcasters if they are paired together for the fourth round in January?
That would be some fallout!
Arrests have continued into the current week, with more set to follow, after the events of 8th March at Ibrox.
On the tribunal ruling, a Scottish FA statement confirmed:
“Appeal Partially Upheld. The Appellate Tribunal affirm the order that the next home Scottish Cup match for Rangers FC be played behind closed doors, and set aside the suspended further stadium closure and the suspended further compensatory payment.
“The Appellate Tribunal affirm the immediate compensatory payment of £100,000, payable within 30 days of completion of the match, but vary its terms under paragraphs 17.6.1(c), (e) and (i) to provide that no payment is due under that order if Celtic FC are the visiting club.
For any other visiting club, the amount and deadline remain unchanged. The qualification does not affect the requirement to play the match behind closed doors. £500 of the £1000 Appeal Deposit to be returned to the Appellant.”
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