Brendan Rodgers on why away fans returning to Glasgow derbies would be ‘fantastic’ for Celtic

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The age-old subject of away supporters being absent at Glasgow derbies appeared in the lead-up to Celtic’s victory over Rangers yesterday.

Although it was thought a visiting allocation would be permitted for the first two fixtures at Celtic Park and Ibrox this season, that didn’t transpire after Rangers couldn’t guarantee the safety of fans travelling to Govan in the New Year.

They weren’t given any tickets to witness their side’s demise yesterday, leaving the Celtic support to drink in another derby win for the ages.

Brendan Rodgers called them out on their inaction, and they swiftly took action to apply for planning permission for protective netting at Ibrox.

Either way, away fans have been absent from Glasgow Derby matches for far too long; football fans are missing out due to consequences beyond their control.

Rodgers is hopeful that the lockout can be sorted out and has now outlined why the return of supporters from both sides would benefit everyone involved.

Brendan Rodgers on the Glasgow Derby lockout

Speaking live on talkSPORT, Rodgers believes the return of both sets of fans is essential to preserve the ‘uniqueness’ of the fixture, which has become a little strange to take in as a home supporter without any back-and-forth.

He explained, when asked by Ally McCoist about the situation: “Well, it’s what makes the game Ally, as you know. Absolutely, when I first came to Celtic in 2016, I really, really enjoyed both games at Celtic Park and Ibrox because it’s the uniqueness of the fixture.

“Scotland, the passion here, it doesn’t get much greater than up here for the football. For Celtic and Rangers, it’s an incredible atmosphere with both sets of supporters in the ground.

“So we hoped it was going to be for this season, but I really hope that after these first two fixtures, we get back to normality and get the game back to what it’s always been as it’s absolutely fantastic.”

It would be nice to have a sense of normality and sense creep back into the fixtures, wouldn’t it? Football fans want to be talking about the excitement of these matches, not about the squabbles surrounding ticket allocations.

Celtic have made their thoughts clear and were right to do so. They implemented safety measures months in advance; there is not much more they could’ve done in that respect.

Regardless, I echo Rodgers’ optimism for the future, and in the third and fourth matches between the pair this season, we should see away allocations return.