Celtic and Rangers appeal Scottish Cup stadium closures and compensation orders

Celtic and Rangers have appealed against sanctions requiring each club to play its next home Scottish Cup match without spectators following crowd disorder at Ibrox in March. Sky Sports reported on Friday that both clubs are also contesting the £100,000 payments ordered for their opponents in those fixtures. The Scottish FA has listed appeal hearings for October 26.

Watch the highlights:

The governing body's disciplinary records show that both clubs admitted breaches of Rule 37 arising from their Scottish Cup meeting on March 8. The original hearings took place on August 13 for Celtic and August 24 for Rangers. Each tribunal imposed the same immediate measures: a closed-door home cup tie and compensation payable to the visiting club within 30 days of the match.

There are also suspended sanctions covering the period through the end of the 2027/28 season. A further failure to prevent unacceptable supporter conduct at a Scottish Cup fixture could trigger another home match without spectators and a second £100,000 compensation payment. Those additional penalties are conditional; they are not a requirement to stage two consecutive home ties behind closed doors.

BBC Sport reported that neither club had commented on the appeals. In its earlier response to the punishment, Celtic argued that the sanction was disproportionate and that the panel should have distinguished between the supporters' behaviour. The club said it did not defend pitch incursions, while also pointing out that it had not been responsible for stadium safety as the visiting side.

The BBC said Police Scotland had made 43 arrests after the post-match clashes, during which officers and stewards were injured and objects and pyrotechnics were thrown. An independent review commissioned by the Scottish FA identified a foreseeable risk of crushing as supporters pushed past police and stewards. Both clubs had admitted the original disciplinary charges before challenging the sanctions.

Separately, the SPFL announced on September 4 that no away supporters would attend matches between the clubs in its competitions for the remainder of 2026/27. That agreement followed discussions involving the clubs, the league and Police Scotland. The SPFL said the arrangement would allow time to address the independent review's recommendations, with the position subject to review if circumstances materially change.