Celtic and Rangers to play Scottish Cup matches behind closed doors over fan violence

The Scottish Football Association (SFA) has imposed severe sanctions on Celtic and Rangers, ordering that their upcoming Scottish Cup fixtures be played behind closed doors. The punishment stems from disorder in March, when, following Celtic's penalty shootout win, supporters threw fireworks and other missiles, police officers were injured, and several arrests were made.

Both clubs were charged under the SFA's disciplinary rule 37, which covers unacceptable conduct at matches, and gave evidence to an independent judicial panel.

Findings of the review

An independent review published last month, led by Mark Blackbourne, concluded the incident came within a "very small margin" of turning into a violent mass confrontation. The report identified failings on the part of both clubs and criticised the SFA itself for not taking a tougher stance on crowd disorder.

In the past, the SFA and the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) typically responded to issues such as pyrotechnic use with fines and, occasionally, reduced ticket allocations. The severity of this latest sanction signals a shift in approach.

While the SFA also faced criticism in the review, the panel's findings gave the governing body grounds to take a firmer stance on a growing problem. The SFA hopes the sanctions will send a clear message that unacceptable conduct will no longer be tolerated.