Rangers fan protests against Celtic friendly in Australia interrupt Dundee clash

Rangers’ match against Dundee at Dens Park has been interrupted on three seperate occasions due to fan protests against the Old Firm friendly against Celtic in Australia.

The Scottish Premiership clash was halted just two minutes after kick-off when supporters in the away end threw streams of toilet paper onto the pitch in front of the Dundee goalmouth, forcing referee Bobby Madden to halt proceedings while stewards cleared the mess.

Dundee took an early lead through Christie Elliot’s header before play was stopped again on the 10-minute mark when hundreds of tennis balls were launched onto the park from the Rangers end, forcing another clear-up as the visiting supporters chanted against the planned trip Australia.

The home side took their 1-0 advantage into the half-time break after James Tavernier skied a penalty over the crossbar, and the match was held up again a minute after the restart when more toilet rolls came onto the park.

Rangers' fans protest against the Old Firm friendly in Austrialia forcing the match against Dundee at Dens Park to be delayed. (Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group)

Rangers and Celtic are due to compete in the Sydney Super Cup in November although the four-team friendly tournament which also involves A-League sides Sydney FC and Sydney Wanderers is said to be in “serious doubt” due to "unresolved issues" with the organisers.

The move, which would see the Old Firm fixture take place on foreign soil for the first time, has angered a large section of Rangers fans who are opposed to meeting their arch rivals in a friendly competition that has been billed Down Under as an Ange Postecoglou “homecoming”.

Rangers commercial director James Bisgrove has defended the decision, insisting the financial benefits to the club outweigh an entire year's worth of TV revenue in the Scottish Premiership, but Rangers fan group Club 1872 accused the club of “alienating” fans and urged directors to scrap the fixture.

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