Rangers fans face ban for derby amid dispute with Celtic

Rangers have asked the Scottish Professional Football League to step in after Celtic refused to give away fans any tickets to the final Old Firm derby of the season unless the Ibrox club's Union Bears ultras group is banned.

A sub-committee of the SPFL board will meet next week to make a decision before the match on Sunday, 10 May.

The row comes in the aftermath of disorder at the Scottish Cup quarter-final on 8 March, when spectators from both clubs entered the pitch after Celtic won on penalties at the home of their Glasgow rivals.

A Scottish FA investigation, lead by sports event consultant Mark Blackbourne, has yet to report to the governing body.

Now, for the forthcoming match that will help decide who wins a three-pronged title race involving leaders Heart of Midlothian and the two Old Firm sides, Celtic have demanded the exclusion of a section of the Rangers support they claim "identifiably engaged in serious violence and disorder".

Rangers said in a statement: "Celtic FC informed us that they will not provide any tickets for the forthcoming game to our supporters unless we agree not to allocate tickets to members of the Union Bears.

"We have firmly rejected those conditions and have referred the matter to the SPFL board."

Rangers stress they "have been clear in condemning the actions of certain individuals on 8 March" and on ensuring match safety.

"We have been attempting to work with Celtic to mitigate any security concerns for the upcoming match," they say.

"At a crucial stage of the season, the removal of away supporters from one of the defining fixtures of the competition would introduce a clear and material sporting imbalance.

"It would also set a precedent with potentially significant consequences for the league in future seasons.

"This game is an opportunity for Scottish football to demonstrate that it can respond constructively to recent events.

"It should be a showcase occasion and a chance to rebuild confidence in how matches of this nature are managed."

Rangers want the SPFL board to "uphold the integrity of the competition, enforce the rules and ensure that the agreement in place between both clubs is honoured".

Celtic have responded by stressing they "are ready and willing to make the full allocation as normal available to Rangers FC, subject to a condition regarding distribution to a particular section".

"Celtic's priority will always be the safety of those attending Celtic Park and, following a detailed risk assessment with regards to the forthcoming match, the club has made a reasonable request of Rangers FC that tickets are not distributed to a section of supporters which very recently and identifiably engaged in serious violence and disorder involving Celtic supporters, staff, police and stewards," the reigning champions add.

"To our surprise and disappointment, Rangers have not agreed to this request. Celtic are ready to engage further with the SPFL and Rangers FC on this matter."