Rangers Criticize Celtic Over Handling of Old Firm Vandalism, Casting Doubt on Future Ticketing

Tensions between Scotland’s two biggest clubs have flared once again as Rangers issued a stinging rebuke to Celtic, claiming the Parkhead side has failed to take sufficient accountability for damage caused by visiting supporters at Ibrox.

The dispute follows a match on March 8, during which Rangers claim their stadium suffered significant damage at the hands of away fans. According to a statement released by the Ibrox club, they have been in active discussions with their Glasgow rivals to establish a “sustainable way forward” regarding safety and supporter conduct for future fixtures.

However, Rangers claim those discussions have stalled. They revealed that after proposing solutions to address the incident, they waited eight days for a response from Celtic—a reply they described as woefully inadequate.

“Celtic responded eight days later and that response did not address our concerns around accountability and deterrence,” the Rangers statement read. “Rangers has not seen the clear acknowledgement, condemnation or deterrent messaging we believe should follow events of that seriousness from Celtic.”

The Ibrox club expressed frustration that they have been left to deal with the fallout of the March damage alone, emphasizing that there remains a “material risk of recurrence” if the situation is not addressed at a structural level. Rangers insisted that they are willing to work with all stakeholders to improve matchday safety, but stressed that change requires “greater accountability and effective deterrence.”

Ongoing Ticketing Uncertainty

The fallout comes at a sensitive time for the Old Firm rivalry, which only recently saw the return of away supporters to league matches in 2025 following a long-standing period where traveling fans were banned entirely.

Rangers also pointed to previous warnings they had issued regarding the increased allocation for the March 8 fixture, claiming that their security concerns were not given sufficient weight by the authorities at the time.

“Rangers will not be deterred from taking decisions it believes are necessary to protect our club, our stadium and our fans,” the club added.

The dispute casts a shadow over the upcoming Scottish Premiership encounter on September 20, which is scheduled to take place at Celtic Park. As of now, the ticketing arrangements for that match remain unconfirmed, leaving fans in limbo as the two clubs remain locked in a standoff over safety standards and institutional responsibility.