Celtic to do no show at Ibrox for December's Old Firm clash

Rangers bosses angered their Glasgow rivals earlier this year when they announced they would be slashing the number of tickets given to the Hoops faithful for the December 29 showdown to just 800.

Parkhead bosses responded by cutting the Gers support for September’s opening derby at Celtic Park to the same number.

But Celtic say they may now opt against taking any fans with them to Govan if Rangers and Police Scotland chiefs cannot guarantee the safe passage of those making their way to the corner section in between the Broomloan Road and Sandy Jardine Stands.

The matter was discussed at the club’s AGM and a statement later posted on Celtic’s official website said: “The forthcoming Premiership match at Ibrox on December 29, in which the allocation of tickets for Celtic supporters has been cut to around 800, was raised, with shareholders expressing their concern for the safety of Celtic fans who would attend the game.

“The club confirmed that there are ongoing discussions with the relevant bodies, as well as supporters’ groups, before making a final decision on whether to recommend that no tickets should be taken for the fixture.

“The safety of Celtic supporters is always the number one priority for the board, something which was also stressed when crowding problems at the Celtic v Rangers game at Celtic Park back in September was raised,” the statement added.