Celtic and Rangers to play next Scottish Cup matches behind closed doors

Celtic and Rangers have been ordered to play their next home Scottish Cup matches without fans following fan disorder during last season's quarter-final match. Both clubs will also have to pay £100,000 to their opponents in that fixture. If there is further unacceptable conduct, they could face a second home match without spectators.

The sanctions are likely to take effect when the clubs enter the Scottish Cup this January. Celtic, who recently progressed to the semi-finals after defeating Rangers on penalties, expressed shock at the punishment, stating that they have never defended supporters entering the field of play and have taken action when it occurs. Rangers also noted the decision of the Scottish FA tribunal and will consider the outcome before determining further steps.

The sanctions come after an independent judicial panel found that the incident was a small margin away from a violent confrontation and criticized both clubs for failings in crowd disorder. This marks a shift in approach by the SFA and SPFL, who have previously handed out fines and reduced ticket allocations for various issues, including the use of pyrotechnics.