Old Firm Without Away Fans: Pragmatism Over Passion — For Now

The SPFL has announced that no away supporters will be permitted at Old Firm fixtures this season, a blunt intervention that removes the literal fuel from Scotland's fiercest rivalry. This is not a symbolic gesture; it is a pragmatic attempt to contain disorder, rebalance policing resources and protect the matchday product while authorities breathe.

The immediate fallout will be financial and atmospheric: both clubs lose significant matchday income and the games lose a defining edge when the visiting end is silent. Commercial partners and broadcasters will monitor the impact, and ticketing arrangements will be a headache for season-ticket holders and neutrals alike.

Longer term, this is a test of whether crowd management, club governance and political will can deliver better outcomes than blunt exclusion. The ban exposes failings — not of the fans as a whole, but of systems that allowed escalation; without structural reform the vacuum will remain and the rivalry will metastasize in other, harder-to-control spaces.

The Guru's position is clear: treat this season as an emergency pause, not a permanent surrender. I predict a phased return of away supporters only after enforced reforms — independent stewarding, biometric or ID-backed ticketing pilots, and firmer club sanctions — otherwise the ban becomes the new normal and Scottish football loses more than it gains.