Celtic and Rangers are ordered to play Scottish Cup home ties behind closed doors after Ibrox pitch invasion violence

The Scottish Football Association has handed both Old Firm clubs an unprecedented stadium-closure punishment after fans from both sides stormed the pitch at Ibrox during Celtic's 4-2 penalty shootout win in the Scottish Cup quarter-final last March. A ten-year-old child was struck by a coin, police and stewards were assaulted, and flares and missiles were thrown, with an independent review finding that 'life-threatening violence' had only been NARROWLY AVOIDED. Both clubs must also pay £100,000 to their cup opponents in compensation for lost gate receipts, with a second closure triggered automatically if crowd trouble recurs at any Scottish Cup tie in the next two seasons.

Celtic called the punishment 'shocking' and 'disproportionate', arguing context and a 'distinction in behaviours' should have been considered by the panel.

Rangers responded by immediately cutting Celtic's ticket allocation for their upcoming Premier Sports Cup quarter-final at Ibrox to just 300 — down from the 7,500 away fans who attended the trouble-hit match.

Police have so far made 43 arrests over the Ibrox disorder, which the SFA's Mark Blackbourne review found came within a 'very small margin' of becoming a mass-casualty event.