(Credit: Imago)

Ciaran Morrison

Wed 29 April 2026 10:43, UK

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Celtic’s Green Bridge should not be allowed to attend the final Old Firm derby of the season alongside Rangers’ Union Bears.

That is according to former Aberdeen chief executive Keith Wyness, speaking to Football Insider, as Rangers fans could be banned from the derby at Celtic Park.

Celtic state that Rangers will be entitled to a full allocation of tickets for their supporters if the Union Bears are not in attendance.

Rangers rejected the proposal from Celtic, and a decision will now be made a subcommittee of the SPFL board before the match on May 10th.

It comes after Rangers and Celtic fans clashed following their Scottish Cup match at Ibrox in March, which the Hoops won on penalties following a goalless 180 minutes of action.

SPFL need to show ‘proper leadership’ in Celtic and Rangers dispute

Aberdeen’s former chief Keith Wyness – who served as CEO at Pittodrie between 2000 and 2004, had lengthy spells as the chief of Everton and Aston Villa and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – agrees that Rangers fans should be in attendance for the final Old Firm of the season.

Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast, Wyness states that ultras groups are the “root of the problem” of bad behaviour at games.

He told Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast: “I don’t blame Celtic for that. It’s the Union Bears and it’s also the Green Brigade.

“Both clubs have got elements of their fan base that are real problems, and they are starting to have control, and they’re starting to get a presence that is wrong. Both groups should be banned from both sides, but they should allow some of the Rangers fans in, provided they’re not seen to be part of the Union Bears.

“The clubs must know who these people are and there must be a way to weed this out and there’s got to be some sort of ban on these particular groups and the fan bases that are part of it. That’s the root of the problem.

“It isn’t Rangers fans in general or Celtic fans in general, and I think it’s perfectly fair to have a smaller group of Rangers fans who are vetted and not wearing Spider-Man outfits and masks and all the rest of it.

“I think that’s fair enough especially a football game, not a political situation. There’s got to be a way through this and common sense would say both clubs can try and root out these elements and let them go elsewhere on match day.

“I have a bit of sympathy for what’s trying to be done there, but the trouble is if one club does it the other one will say no, and we get back into the usual tit for tat, which has been going on since I’ve been in the game 25 years ago and it’s quite pathetic.

“It needs proper leadership, and of course we haven’t got that in Scotland.”

Celtic prepared for Arne Engels bid

Sources have told Football Insider that Arne Engels is open to leaving Celtic this summer, and Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund have entered the race for his signature.

Engels was the subject of multiple bids from Nottingham Forest during the January transfer window, where the Hoops could have earned up to £25million for the midfielder.

The 22-year-old is Celtic’s most expensive ever purchase after joining from Augsburg for £11m in 2024.

With Borussia Dortmund set to qualify for next season’s Champions League, and with Celtic not guaranteed European football, it could be tough to keep the Belgian in Glasgow.