Celtic should embrace the attitudes of Hearts and Rangers by rejecting allocations for Tynecastle and Ibrox. Ticketing in Scotland has become weaponised with clubs taking petty action to spite other clubs’ fans, resulting in drastic decisions whereby fans are locked out of games until it suits the home club.
Celtic find themselves in a position whereby they’ll be asked to accept around 1600 tickets for trips to Tynecastle and Ibrox. The Scottish Champions have the largest travelling support in the country but yet will see two of their biggest away fixtures limited to less than 800 tickets.
Rangers made the decision to reduce Celtic’s allocation in the summer of 2018, following four consecutive defeats to Brendan Rodgers’ side. The decision was reciprocated by Celtic, massively impacting upon one of the biggest spectacles in World Football.
Hearts have similarly made grumbles against the Celtic End at Tynecastle. Now, they have slashed Celtic’s allocation for Tynecastle as just Hibs will occupy the entirety of the Roseburn Stand.
Now, Celtic are being forced to acquiesce to the new ticketing arrangements that will likely see thousands of fans locked out of games. This hasn’t been unique to these two teams, Kilmarnock and St Mirren have recently followed Rangers’ lead by cutting allocations.
It is time that Celtic take a stand. We all know that when clubs start struggling with attendance, they’ll expect Celtic fans to cover their shortfalls and see the ‘green pound’ as an opportunity to bolster their bank accounts.
If Celtic lock Hearts and Rangers fans out, they’ll come crawling back as their own branch of loyal away fans demand some discussions. The SPFL have idly sat back and let clubs take these embarrassing decisions, which have taken away from a unique aspects of the Scottish game, the tribalism from the support.
If Celtic make a decision, the SPFL will likely have the rights holders, Sky Sports, on the phone demanding to know why two of the biggest fixtures on their calendars will be somewhat dampened by no away fans. The Scottish Football Authorities should speak to relevant stakeholders and look to push towards a consensus that suits all parties and that is sustainable long-term. The current flip-flopping must come to an end.
Rangers are to blame for this Fiasco no one else.!!!!
😂 Awwwwwwww
What a stupid point of view!
Hearts are selling the top tear of the away stand to season ticket holders as they are reporting.
The way the spilt works Hearts only get 3 matches at home guaranteed against Celtic & Rangers and 4 if the make the top 6. So with a maximum of 4 games plus the 1 definite or 2 maximum games with Hibs but both need to finish in either the top 6 or bottom 6 for that to happen you are looking at a maximum of 6 games.
6 games that can fill the away stand a season. at £30 – £35 a ticket. As the rest won’t take up the entire stand.
So they are now selling half the stand (upper tier) to increase season tickets. Makes sense from a financial point of view.
Take 1 seat, 6 at £30 equals £180 or 19 games to a season ticket holder for £400 -£450 a season. That is the proverbial no brainer.
Put it this way, as a Celtic fan, would I be happy if Celtic turned round saying we are now going to give more seats to away fans, No!
Would the club do this, No!
Why?
Because it means reduced revenue, so Hearts are trying to increase revenue for their club and you think that is wrong!
You are an imbecile!
What a load of nonsense. Home fans come first at all grounds. Just like celtic in reaction to rangers have sold more season tickets to their own fans meaning every other clubs gets a tiny pocket of tickets in the far corner of a stand with most seats offering a restricted view. Yet it’s big bad hearts who, by the way, are still offering celtic a much larger percentage of tickets than they get at Celtic Park. Of course though it doesn’t suit celtic so the toys go out the pram that another spl team isn’t rolling over and handing celtic 20% of their stadium. 🤣 the entitlement from the old firm is what’s really killing the game in this country nothing else.
If this trend is to continue by clubs reducing away support participation on the pretext of selling more season tickets then it will backfire season big time on them, previous comment on one ticket does not work out as it is 3 tickets that the scenario should be taken into account and that is much more than the cost of a season ticket. If Celtic were to state that they would not take tickets for Tynecastle or Aberdeen for that matter I would not be too bothered Personally i’m in a position were I receive tickets for away games but the fans who travel to these grounds are treated abysmally, especially at Tynecastle so it would be no great loss and after a few seasons they would be back cap in hand with an increased allocation and if the TV companies were to state that they would not televise such games they would not be too long in changing their attitude.