“We have to accept it. It’s not our decision,” Mika Baur on away fan ban at Ibrox | OneFootball

Celtic summer signing Mika Baur looks ahead to Celtic’s Premier Sports Cup quarter final match at Ibrox on Sunday afternoon which will be played with only home fans present…

9th September 2026; McDiarmid Park, Scottish Premiership St Johnstone versus Celtic; Mika Baur of Celtic celebrates with Kasper Hogh of Celtic after he shoots and scores in the 52nd minute to make it 1-0 to Celtic. Photo Vagelis Georgariou

Mika Baur has never experienced a match where there are no away fans present, so due to the actions of the Rangers, that is exactly what is being allowed to happen on Sunday when Celtic are at Ibrox for the Premier Sports Cup quarter-final.

After Celtic’s 1-0 win at McDiarmid Park, the Celtic goalscorer on the night spoke to the mainstream media to preview the upcoming cup-tie which the SPFL have allowed the home club to manufacture a huge advantage for themselves. Only in Scottish football could this be allowed to happen.

9th September 2026; McDiarmid Park, Scottish Premiership St Johnstone versus Celtic; Mika Baur of Celtic celebrates after he shoots and scores in the 52nd minute to make it 1-0 to Celtic. Photo Vagelis Georgariou

Like his teammates, Baur will just have to get on with it and a Celtic victory would be all the sweeter given the circumstances. Martin O’Neill of course will not miss the opportunity to make that ‘good point’ in the dressing room ahead of kick-off.

“We have to accept it. It’s not our decision,” Baur said. “It shouldn’t affect us on Sunday, but sure, if you have some fans with you to give you energy, it helps a lot, but it’s not our decision. We accept it and try to do our best.

“It’s just a way of perspective. They give you energy if they’re in the stadium, but a situation like that gives you a lot of energy. You know everyone watches it in front of the TV, so you want to do your best, you want to win,” Celtic’s summer signing stated, as reported by The Celtic Way.

9th September 2026; McDiarmid Park, Perth, Scottish Premiership, St Johnstone versus Celtic; Mika Baur of Celtic shoots and scores in the 52nd minute to make it 1-0 to Celtic. Photo Vagelis Georgariou

Baur is looking for his Celtic teammates to continue their outstanding momentum in the league with five wins from five under Martin O’Neill guidance to add to the seven straight wins in a row at the end of last season in the Scottish premiership that delivered the title, and of course denying the now Rangers boss Derek McInnes a title win as Hearts manager.

“I think now we have good momentum because of the last matches in the league,” Baur explained. “We can be confident for sure. That’s why it’s important that we won today (on Wednesday evening in Perth), to have that confidence and to look forward to the Rangers match.

“And to go into the match really confident, that we know we have the quality and we are capable of scoring, capable of defending,” he added.

9th September 2026; McDiarmid Park, Perth, Scottish Premiership, St Johnstone versus Celtic; Mika Baur of Celtic celebrates after he shoots and scores in the 52nd minute to make it 1-0 to Celtic. Photo Vagelis Georgariou

“I expect it will be special, but I think I’ve never experienced something like that. I’m just looking forward and being excited about what’s happening on Sunday. They’re a good team, it will be a tough game, difficult, but we will try our best to get into the next round.”

Baur revealed that he’d never played in a match with no away fans but doesn’t see it being a problem for him. “I think I’m capable of that. I’ve never experienced something like that, especially if there are just fans that maybe hate you and don’t like you. But I think I can handle that.”

9th September 2026; McDiarmid Park, Scottish Premiership St Johnstone versus Celtic; Celtic coach Mark Fotheringham and Mika Baur of Celtic celebrate after the game. Photo Vagelis Georgariou

He’s certainly got the last past right there. Sunday’s atmosphere, the songbook, any throwing of objects – as is now the norm when Celtic play there – will be monitored carefully by the club and also the Celtic supporters watching on TV. There can be no sharing of the blame this time around.

Mostly the mainstream media will ignore it, unless Celtic comment about it, which they have traditionally been reluctant to do. Times are a changing and hopefully anything that is worthy of comment from the club actually happens this time around.

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