Rangers has received the independent review into the match against Celtic on 8 March 2026.
The disorder witnessed that day was unacceptable. The club unreservedly condemns those who forced entry, entered the field of play, engaged in violence, used pyrotechnics or threw missiles, vandalised the stadium, burned tifo materials or directed abhorrent abuse at the victims of the Ibrox Disaster.
We recognise the distress caused to supporters, staff and others affected and the professionalism of the police officers and stewards as they restored order on the day.
Rangers engaged fully with the independent review and accepts responsibility for the areas within the club’s control. We will implement the lessons learned and recommendations required to strengthen our arrangements. We expect the same accountability from others involved.
It is important that the preparations undertaken ahead of that fixture are recognised. First, we asked for the existing agreement between Rangers and Celtic on away ticket allocations for the past two seasons to be respected. We also set out clear safety concerns about departing from that approach, but the increased allocation proceeded. Our operational plan for the match was materially enhanced to reflect the allocation and subsequent risks identified. Our preparations also included increased stewarding and ticket checks, additional resources at turnstiles and exits, revised arrival arrangements and measures to tackle attempted doubling-up and forced entry.
Despite this, our plan, prepared with the authorities, was severely tested by those determined to cause disorder. As a result, the events nevertheless demonstrated that further action is required.
We will put in place measures to strengthen planning and safety for high-risk fixtures.
The Board will oversee the changes and recommendations being implemented.
Supporters will be engaged directly in this work including through the Fan Advisory Board.
Since the match, the club has introduced a supporter conduct and sanctions policy and acted against individuals identified through police investigations and other available evidence.
Ticketing accounts have been suspended while cases are considered, and bans enforced. Serious misconduct will result in serious consequences.
While we support some of the report’s recommendations, we do not accept every finding or factual assertion it contains. We have and will continue to raise concerns with the Scottish FA about significant aspects of the independent report.
We are concerned about the description and limited examination of the decision to allocate around 8,000 tickets to Celtic, which materially changed the risk profile of the fixture. We raised safety concerns but were left in no doubt that the competition rule would be applied and the increased allocation was expected to proceed.
The independent review should have scrutinised the Scottish FA's actions as robustly as those of clubs and other organisations. This is a significant omission.
The report also proposes a pathway towards a return to full away allocations between Rangers and Celtic. This was not part of the terms of reference of this report and does not reflect our position. We have no plans to restore historic Old Firm allocations at Ibrox.
Instead, we call on the Scottish FA to review its own ticket allocation rules and policies, and how they are implemented, in light of the lessons arising from this match.
The report also raises wider questions about how safety and security are managed across Scottish football. Rangers supports stronger national coordination, structured supporter involvement and more effective legislative powers.
As part of that, we welcome the Scottish Government’s recent consultation on strengthening Football Banning Orders. The police and the courts must have effective powers to address serious misconduct connected to football. We expect tragedy abuse, including abuse concerning the Ibrox Disaster, to be explicitly addressed in any subsequent legislation.
Our focus now is on engaging with the forthcoming disciplinary process and implementing the necessary changes. Scottish football will only reduce the risk of these events being repeated and make progress if every organisation is prepared to examine its own decisions with accountability and a genuine commitment to improvement.