Ciaran Morrison

Thu 12 March 2026 20:00, UK

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Rangers and Celtic should not have allowed their ultras groups to attend last week’s Old Firm derby at Ibrox.

That is according to ex-Aberdeen, Aston Villa, and Everton chief executive Keith Wyness, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, who claims the ugly post-match scenes were “predictable.”

Sets of supporters from both clubs invaded the pitch and clashed after Celtic had won the Scottish Cup quarter-final tie 4-2 on penalties.

Amid Rangers’ hopes of winning the Scottish Cup vanishing, Celtic’s celebrations on the pitch were cut short due to actions from a minority of the two clubs’ fanbases, which will likely have repercussions for future derby fixtures.

Ultras should be ‘excluded’ from Old Firm fixtures

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 – called the scenes “despicable.”

Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast, Wyness called Glasgow a “dangerous” place to be after the game finished.

He told Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast: “Look, there’s been enough said and written about how despicable the whole thing was. All I could say it was entirely predictable.

“You know, with the Green Brigade and the Union Bears, well known to the police and to the clubs themselves, there could have been action taken to exclude them from the ground in some way. Clubs know where those tickets are going in some way. 

“There’s got to be a way to handle that. Look, it’s happened ever since I’ve been involved in Scottish football, back in the early 2000s, to abandon a game at Pittodrie because the Rangers and Aberdeen fans were on the pitch. 

“The Old Firm aren’t entirely blameless as well, but certainly Glasgow becomes a poisonous place, and I think even more so than normal the other night from what I’ve heard from my friends in Glasgow. It really was a dangerous place to be on the night after the game.”  

European problem emerges for Rangers and Celtic

Finance expert Stefan Borson told Football Insider that Rangers and Celtic face a financial blow from Scotland losing its second Champions League place.

Matchday and broadcast revenue will decrease for Rangers and Celtic if they are not in European competition, which could have consequences in the transfer market.

Currently, neither team would have an opportunity to qualify for the league phase of the Champions League as Hearts occupy 1st place in the Scottish Premiership table.