SPFL set key date to settle Celtic vs Rangers Glasgow Derby ticket row

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The SPFL have now fixed the moment that will decide one of the most contentious Celtic and Rangers issues of the season.

Celtic’s condition on releasing away tickets for the upcoming Glasgow Derby unless Rangers guarantee that they will not allow them to be distributed to fans that caused the Ibrox trouble in March has forced the SPFL to step in.

The governing body will now act, with SPFL will meet to rule on the ticket dispute tomorrow after setting a key date to resolve the issue. That decision will not satisfy both sides, but it will go far beyond this single fixture.

• READ MORE: David Gray admits Celtic reality after Hibs boss watched Falkirk win up close

Do you reckon these reduced allocations have taken the edge off the Glasgow derby?

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Celtic at centre of SPFL decision that will reshape Glasgow Derby ticketing

The dispute stems from the fact that Celtic refused to allocate away tickets without conditions being met. That stance has now forced the league to take control of the process and a decision is set to be made on Thursday the 30th of April.

Under league rules, clubs must provide a reasonable number of visiting supporters where agreement is reached.

Celtic have already moved within that framework by offering a defined allocation, understood to be around 2,200 tickets, placing the focus on whether that number meets the SPFL rules.

When clubs cannot agree, the SPFL intervenes and the decision shall be final and binding.

Celtic decision now forces SPFL into defining future matchday control

That process is now active because Rangers escalated the issue to the SPFL rather than accepting the terms offered. It removes control from both clubs and places it firmly with the league.

The significance stretches beyond this fixture. When the SPFL determines the allocation, the ruling becomes a reference point for any future dispute.

Once a number is set, it becomes the benchmark. Future disagreements between Celtic and Rangers will be judged against it, reducing the scope for negotiation.

This is why the timing matters as much as the outcome. The SPFL are not just resolving a dispute, they are setting the terms that will govern Glasgow Derby ticketing going forward.