Celtic and Rangers File Appeals Against SFA Sanctions
Celtic and Rangers have both lodged a Celtic SFA appeal against sanctions imposed after pitch clashes. These happened at the end of last season’s Scottish Cup quarter-final at Ibrox. Both clubs face a fine and an order to play their next home Scottish Cup tie behind closed doors. A second stadium ban, suspended for now, would follow any further unacceptable conduct.
The clashes broke out once the final whistle went at Ibrox in March, at the end of a fiercely contested Scottish Cup quarter-final. The next meeting between the sides is covered in the preview of the Glasgow derby clash. A fixture that now sits under the shadow of this unresolved appeal.
Official Celtic Statement and Disciplinary Details
Celtic issued a strongly worded response once the original sanctions were confirmed. The statement read: “We are shocked by this disproportionate punishment for a relatively small incursion by Celtic supporters at a moment of emotion and celebration.”
The club was careful to separate that view from its stance on pitch invasions generally. “Our club has never defended supporters entering the field of play. We have repeatedly taken action when it occurs,” Celtic said. The statement continued: “However, we understand the part emotion plays in football. We would have expected the context and distinction in behaviours to have been taken into account by the panel.”
Celtic also raised the question of responsibility for the ground itself. “Another important distinction is that, on this occasion, Celtic were not the home club responsible for stadium safety arrangements,” the statement added. That argument sits at the centre of the Celtic SFA appeal. It draws a line between what happened in the stands and who controlled the stadium that day.
Context of Post-Match Clashes and Safety Findings
Police Scotland made 43 arrests in connection with the clashes at Ibrox in March. This is a figure that shows the scale of what happened once the final whistle went.
An independent SFA review found that a crushing incident was a real and foreseeable risk after Ultra fans surged past police and stewards. That finding underpinned the panel’s original decision and explains why both clubs, not just the visiting support, were warned that further trouble would trigger a second stadium ban.
SFA Appeal Hearing Scheduled for October
The Scottish FA has set the appeal hearing for Monday, 26 October. Both clubs will put their case to the panel that day. Until then, the sanctions handed down after the Ibrox clashes remain under appeal.
The BBC Sport report on the SFA appeals carries the clubs’ statements in full. The suspended second stadium ban stays on the table for both Celtic and Rangers until the panel rules.
