What will ticket arrangements be for Rangers v Celtic?

Theoretically, Celtic could be offered next to no visiting tickets for the match at Ibrox - at least according to the rules and regulations set out by the Scottish Professional Football League for their primary cup competition.

For confirmation of this, BBC Scotland took a deep dive into the books. The relevant information is listed in Annex 2 – The Scottish Professional Football League Cup Competition Regulations - and section 11, Admission Arrangements for Visiting Clubs and clubs.

This is where it becomes clear that, in theory at least, Rangers are only required to make 50 tickets available to Celtic - 10 for the directors' box and 40 for the stand, as detailed in sub-section one:

"11.1 The Home Club shall forward to the Visiting Club 'without charge' tickets, in the numbers set out below, so that they will be in the hands of the Visiting Club on or before the fifth day before the Match (unless under circumstances which render this impracticable) - 10 for Directors' Box, 40 for the Stand."

Further to this, the only other official stipulation in the competition guidelines that applies to tickets (at least up to and including the quarter-final stage) is in the next section of the rulebook:

"11.2 No Official or Player of the Visiting Club shall be entitled to enter the Home Club's Ground without a ticket."

It would therefore appear to be within Rangers' gift, according to the strictest reading of the rules, to have very few Celtic supporters at Ibrox.

Despite what's written in the rules, there's also an element of custom and practice to these things. Especially, as with this derby, the high profile nature of the match and the desire from broadcasters, sponsors and neutral observers to have the best possible atmosphere in the ground.

What clubs tend to do in the League Cup is operate along the parameters of the arrangements already in place for league matches, namely:

"The Home club must make provision for the admission of such reasonable number of visiting supporters at every home League Match and Play-Off Match as may be agreed in advance with the Visiting Club and, in the event of their being unable to agree such number not later than 14 days prior to the date of the League Match or Play-Off Match in question, the number of visiting supporters allowed shall be determined by the Board whose decision shall be final and binding."

This "reasonable number" has been a hot topic with Celtic and Rangers for quite some time now. After a period in which both clubs declined entry to away fans, a compromise figure of roughly five per cent of the respective grounds was arrived at, which has meant around 2,500 away fans have been present at Premiership Old Firm games across the past couple of years.

It's highly likely this will be the kind of allocation Celtic can expect as they go head to head with Ranges for a place in the semi-finals.