Celtic, Rangers lose appeal against stadium closure sanction after fan trouble

Celtic and Rangers have failed in their appeals against Scottish FA sanctions requiring both clubs to play their next home Scottish Cup matches behind closed doors. The punishments were issued following pitch invasions and violent clashes at Ibrox during their quarter-final tie in March, which resulted in 43 arrests. Both clubs also failed to overturn a £100,000 fine ordered to be paid to their opponents.

The appeals did result in the lifting of a suspended second closed-door match ban that had been threatened for future infractions. Celtic expressed disappointment with the decision, calling the sanction excessive and disproportionate, while an independent review led by Mark Blackbourne highlighted severe safety concerns, noting that life-threatening violence was narrowly avoided during the original disorder.