Maybe they are just filling space. Perhaps they have been fed a line. Or they might just want to get along to the game at Celtic Park on 2 January 2020 and support their team…
We’ve not got involved in the latest controversy about theRangers not getting tickets for the Glasgow Derby – or as Brian Wilson would call it, the Old Firm game – at the start of next year because the matter was settled in August.
The mainstream media are pushing an argument that with the Red Zone requirement now scrapped under pre-existing SPFL rules clubs (ie Celtic) must “make provision for the admission of such reasonable number of visiting supporters”.
Their argument goes on to state that as the previous numbers before Covid were set at around 750 supporters (the exact number that Celtic were prepared to give to theRangers for the 2 January 2022 in late August 2021) should be allowed into the game – and they warn that theRangers can go to the SPFL and get Neil Doncaster to enforce their own rules to make Celtic comply with the Ibrox ticket request.
What a load of…
The decision not to allow Celtic supporters to attend the first CINCH Premiership match of the season had nothing to do with the Red Zone requirements, that’s a blue, white and Red Herring. The proof of that is in the Celtic Ticket Office where there are 750 tickets for that match which theRangers had supplied to Celtic then DEMANDED that Celtic GUARANTEE equal treatment and numbers for the game at Celtic Park on 2 January 2022. Fair enough.
Celtic responded by saying that they would guarantee 750 tickets subject to any Government enforced Covid restrictions that might make it impossible. ie if there is another spike and the games are played behind closed doors again (heaven forbid) then Celtic would not be allowed to issue tickets for to away fans nor would they be allowed to admit our own supporters, who had already purchased a match ticket via their season tickets. Again fair enough.
It’s the same as the recent introduction of Vaccine checks at stadiums with crowds over 10,000. That could result in some anti-vaccination Celtic season ticket holders NOT being allowed to enter the ground, even though they have purchased a season ticket. But whether you agree or disagree with that, Celtic simply have to comply with the law and this is covered in the small print of the season ticket issued by the club. If the law changes Celtic still have to comply.
So back to the denial of tickets for the away fans on 2 January. Celtic will actually do what theRangers requested and guarantee equal treatment and equal numbers for this game to match the game at Ibrox earlier in the season. And that means ZERO away tickets.
And given that was the position that the most recent Ibrox club were aware of in the summer, they can try to use their media pals – and imagine them actually having the brass neck to go to the SPFL to complain about rule breaches for a CINCH Premiership issue!
Celtic were being fair and reasonable in August and advised theRangers then that their actions would result in no away fans on 2 January. Celtic therefore had 750 extra tickets to sell to our supporters and that process is already well underway.
Therefore it is too late for the SPFL to even try to intervene – to help theRangers – even if the hacks are lobbying hard for this to happen. And you can’t imagine Neil Doncaster who competed the SPFL’s biggest ever sponsorship deal with CINCH last summer only for theRangers to frustrate the SPFL and for the matter to end up in court. The lack of self-awareness that comes out of Ibrox these days is astonishing.
The backlash among Celtic supporters if Celtic did give in and re-instate the away allocation for this match would be huge and would cause considerable damage to the well-being of our club. Even the increasingly tone-deaf Celtic Board must understand that.
This fixture has been damaged since theRangers fans couldn’t handle the Celtic celebrations in the Broomloan when we were well on top. The wins at their ground were just that wee bit sweeter and were thoroughly enjoyed by every Celtic supporter at Ibrox. Yet now that they appear to have the ascendancy in these games in recent times their support has denied themselves the chance of seeing theRangers win at Celtic Park and being their to enjoy their own success. That’s down to their own actions and not Celtic’s.
This needs to change and the full away allocation should be restored, with Celtic supporters getting the full Broomloan stand from next season and theRangers getting the same number of tickets for Celtic Park.
That can’t happen any sooner as season ticket commitments at both clubs need to honoured so for the two remaining games this season after 2 January 2022, the 750 ticket away allocation should be restored
A formal agreement is needed to determine the way forward and it should be published so that everyone is aware of the deal. It’s not hard really.
