"Bit of a stretch"; Ange Postecoglou responds to tiny Celtic ticket allocation for derby

By John McGinley

April 1, 2022

Ange Postecoglou wants larger away crowds in the derby between Celtic and Rangers moving forward into the coming seasons.

The Celtic boss has talked up the excitement of duelling atmospheres in derbies around the world.

He reckons over the next few years the clubs should move towards bigger allocations than the paltry 700 given to the Bhoys for Sunday’s clash.

Asked if he was looking forward to playing in his first derby with ‘both sets of fans’ in attendance, Postecoglou responded [Celtic YouTube]: “It’s a bit of a stretch saying both sets of fans. I mean, we’re gonna have 700 in there. No doubt they will make an impression.

“Yeah, look, it’s great. And I think when you look at all the derby games around the world, that’s what kind of makes them a little bit special is that you obviously get some parochial support from both sides.

“So yeah, it’d be great if we can sort of increase that number over the next few years. But just to have sort of 700 will be great for us.

“Sure, they’ll make a noise and make an impact but, irrespective of the atmosphere it’s gonna be great. That’s why these games are special.”

I have no doubt Postecoglou was consulted by the club on the ticketing situation for the derby. It sounds like the manager would definitely have a small band of fans there than nothing at all, so you can understand why the briefs were accepted.

The final league derby this season is likely to see Rangers get a similar number. That’s only right.

However, like Ange, I’m hoping that common sense prevails beyond that point and we can get a return to sizeable supporters in both grounds.

In other news, Confirmed: Celtic heroes find out World Cup 2022 fate after blockbuster draw.