The Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) has confirmed its stance on the contentious Old Firm ticket allocation, siding with Celtic's decision to ban the Rangers ultras group, the Union Bears, for the upcoming clash on May 10. This ruling follows a period of disagreement between the two Glasgow giants regarding spectator arrangements for one of Scottish football's most anticipated fixtures.

The dispute arose last month when Celtic and Rangers failed to reach a mutual agreement on ticketing for the final Old Firm derby of the season. Despite the ban on the Union Bears, the SPFL board sub-committee has stipulated that approximately 2,500 visiting Rangers supporters will still be permitted to attend the match, which is scheduled to be broadcast live on Sky Sports.

Celtic had initially offered the standard five per cent allocation of tickets to Rangers, but this offer came with a specific condition: that Rangers would not sell any of these briefs to members of the Union Bears. This stipulation was a direct response to widespread disorder observed at the previous Scottish Cup meeting between the clubs at Ibrox, where fans from both sides were involved in pitch clashes, prompting an independent review by the Scottish FA.

Rangers, however, rejected this condition on ticket sales, leading to Celtic's subsequent withdrawal of the entire away allocation. The Ibrox club then formally requested the SPFL to intervene and make a determination on the matter, hoping for a reversal of Celtic's decision regarding the visiting support.

In its final determination, the SPFL board sub-committee stated it would not overrule Celtic's risk assessment. The decision underscores the league's support for clubs' measures to ensure spectator safety and manage fan behaviour, particularly in high-profile matches like the Old Firm derby, while still ensuring a significant away presence.