Celtic manager Martin O'Neill expressed deep concern that large away fan allocations at Rangers games may be lost forever following pitch invasions after Sunday's Scottish Cup quarter-final. The match at Ibrox saw Celtic's 7,500 away supporters witness their team's penalty shootout victory, the first meeting since 2018 with such a significant away presence.

In recent years, away allocations for Old Firm fixtures had been limited to 800 or 2,500 fans, or eliminated entirely. Sunday's larger crowd resulted from Scottish Cup rules requiring balanced attendance. O'Neill, who managed Celtic from 2000-2005, recalled derbies during his tenure when visiting supporters filled similar numbers at Ibrox, creating atmospheres he described as "amazing" despite the hostility.

Nine arrests followed Sunday's post-match disturbances as spectators entered the pitch. O'Neill acknowledged the policing challenges of managing 7,000 away fans but lamented the potential loss of atmosphere that makes the fixture special. The former manager emphasized that while safety concerns are valid, something "seriously lost" would occur if future derbies returned to minimal away allocations, fundamentally changing the character of Scottish football's most intense rivalry.