Rangers to play without fans in Old Firm derby at Celtic

Rangers will not have supporters in attendance during their clash with Celtic at Celtic Park on Dec. 30, the Scottish Premiership club said on Tuesday.

Away fans have not been present at recent Old Firm derby matches, including Celtic's 1-0 win at Ibrox in September, due to a ticketing dispute over fan safety.

In a statement on Tuesday, Rangers said they were "extremely disappointed" at not having fans in attendance despite winning a case put to a Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) board sub-committee.

"The sub-committee agreed with Rangers that Celtic FC's stance of providing zero tickets to Rangers' fans was unreasonable," Rangers added.

"Despite the fact that the sub-committee agreed with Rangers, the sub-committee was unwilling to determine what a 'reasonable' number of tickets for the fixture would be.

"The sub-committee was unable to determine this reasonable number due to the fact that the other party had not submitted enough evidence on this issue, despite having ample opportunity to do so in the weeks and months leading up to the hearing."

Reuters has contacted Celtic for comment.

"Rangers' position has always been clear. We want away fans from all clubs at our stadium and wish for that to be reciprocated when we travel to other clubs' grounds," Rangers said.

Rangers are second in the league standings with 37 points from 16 games, five behind leaders Celtic, who have played 18 matches.