Celtic and Rangers Face Behind-Closed-Doors Matches Following Fan Violence

Celtic and Rangers will play their upcoming home Scottish Cup matches without fans as a result of last season's violent quarter-final. This decision comes after significant disorder marred their previous encounter, with incidents including fireworks being thrown and injuries among police.

Both clubs are also liable to pay £100,000 to their opponents for these matches. Should further misconduct occur from either fanbase during the competition, they may face additional matches played without spectators.

The sanctions, stemming from an incident last March, will take effect when the teams enter the fourth round of the Scottish Cup in January. An independent review highlighted the near-miss of a violent confrontation and criticized both clubs and the Scottish FA for their handling of crowd safety.

Source: www.bbc.co.uk