Rangers are preparing to defend their position at a Scottish Football Association disciplinary hearing on Monday evening following the pitch invasion that marred their recent Scottish Cup derby against Celtic.
Both Glasgow clubs were hit with charges after chaotic scenes unfolded at Ibrox, with supporters from both ends invading the playing surface. Celtic attended their own hearing 11 days prior, while the proceedings for Rangers were postponed to accommodate their Europa League fixture against Jagiellonia Bialystok.
Reports indicate that Rangers have accepted the notice of complaint, but will argue against carrying sole responsibility for the incident. The club’s legal team intends to highlight key findings from last month’s independent report, which identified the initial pitch intrusion by Celtic supporters from the Broomloan End as the primary trigger for the subsequent violence.
While Rangers have publicly condemned the behavior of their own fans and will not seek to excuse those actions, they plan to present several mitigating factors to the panel. Among their grievances is the requirement to allocate the entire Broomloan End to visiting Celtic supporters, despite prior requests to restrict the away section to its standard league capacity, a proposal the SFA ultimately rejected.
The SFA disciplinary panel will convene tonight to determine the outcome. Official results from the hearing are expected to be announced on Tuesday morning at the earliest.