Celtic Prepares for Ibrox Derby Amid Police Reminder
Police Scotland stepped into Celtic’s preparations for Sunday’s Premier Sport Cup quarter-final at Ibrox, delivering what manager Martin O'Neill called “a timely reminder” about how his players conduct themselves in the white heat of an Old Firm derby.
The visit came on Friday, just weeks after both Celtic and Rangers were ordered to play their next home Scottish Cup ties behind closed doors. That punishment followed last season’s explosive quarter-final at Ibrox, when Celtic edged a penalty shootout on the pitch but the night was overshadowed by serious fan disorder off it.
This weekend’s tie will be Celtic’s first return to Ibrox since that chaotic evening. They have faced Rangers once in Glasgow since, a 3-1 Scottish Premiership win at Celtic Park in May, but the scars of that cup clash still shape the fixture.
No away fans will be present at Ibrox in the league or League Cup this season after the Scottish Professional Football League moved to lock out travelling support from Old Firm derbies. One of world football’s most hostile rivalries will be played out in front of a one-sided crowd.
O’Neill confirmed the police briefing was short but pointed.
“We had the police come in today, just a little 15-minute meeting to remind us of our behaviour, which I think is a timely reminder,” he said.
The message, he suggested, goes beyond crowd control and into how players carry themselves once the whistle goes.
“They didn't mention this, but I would have assumed that one of the things that would be considered is what happens in the field of play, because these things can be taken further,” O’Neill explained.
“You don't want any sort of punch-ups for a start. Secondly, you don't want excessive celebrations, stuff like that.
“But I think it's just the behaviour in the light of what has happened in recent fixtures. I think that the conversation with the police wouldn't have taken place had not recent events been brought up to us.”
On the pitch, Celtic travel across the city with the momentum and the numbers to back it up. They have won the last three derbies since Rangers’ 3-1 victory at Celtic Park in January and already hold a five-point lead at the top of the Premiership after just six games.
The usual febrile split of the stands will not be there. No pocket of green and white in a corner of Ibrox, no defiant roars when the away side string passes together or win a corner. For O’Neill, that changes the feel, if not the stakes.
“I think the games themselves almost take care of themselves in that sense,” he said when asked about the absence of away support.
“It'll be strange in many aspects not to have any away fans in our area. I always felt as if it would give you a crumb of comfort in some description.
“Nervously looking forward to it, excitedly looking forward to it.”
Across the divide, Rangers arrive under their own kind of pressure. Derek McInnes has faced criticism from sections of the home support for a stuttering start to his tenure, even though his side come into the tie on the back of four straight wins. The tension is there, just beneath the surface. One goal either way could rip it open.
“I suppose if you get in front in the game, that makes them anxious,” O'Neill suggested. “Talking about getting in front and getting in front are two different things. The crowd will be right behind their team, which you would expect.
“We just do our best. We know that we're up against a very fine side. We're up against a crowd that can make a difference. I'd be delighted to be celebrating something in the game.”
The police have had their say. The stands will be stripped of away colour. What remains is the oldest story in this city: 90 minutes, two clubs, and a derby that still finds new ways to test everyone’s composure.
