Celtic will play the first of their two clashes against Rangers on Sunday.
There will be massive support for the Hoops for the Premiership showdown, but an even bigger away following for the Scottish Cup tie next week at Ibrox.
James McFadden expressed his delight at the Celtic faithful being given the whole Broomloan Stand, as he stated that it’s ‘visually better’ for the game.
“It’s visually better as well,” said McFadden. “If you are watching the game or you are in it. It definitely helps.
“It was an amazing game and a brilliant advert for Scottish football. I just think when you have more away fans, it generates something different.”
Of course, in recent years, Rangers have thrown their toys out of the pram by not awarding Celtic an away allocation at all, or very little, and then the champions of Scotland have followed suit.
But when it’s Scottish Cup week, the good old days are going to return in the Glasgow derby.
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James McFadden and Pat Bonner on Celtic getting the whole Broomloan Stand at Ibrox for the Scottish Cup tie
Of course, Celtic need to get the job done this Sunday, and then next week will be even more of a party atmosphere inside Ibrox.
You just know sections of the Rangers support won’t like the fact that the Bhoys will be housed in the Broomloan Stand because they will bring the noise, and some more.
Pat Bonner played during a time when thousands upon thousands upon thousands of supporters used to be in the away end at Celtic Park and at Ibrox.
The legendary goalkeeper explained it’s ‘wonderful’ when there is such an away following for these matches because it ‘spurs you on.’
But McFadden, speaking on BBC Radio Scotland alongside Bonner, just thinks it’s ‘a great advert’ for the Scottish game, which has produced some epic and dramatic moments this season.
Bonner: “It creates the atmosphere, doesn’t it? It creates that atmosphere that we were craving for in those types of games.
“For me, it changed completely when it was only one set of fans inside the ground. I was used to the older days; of course, they have to behave themselves, we all know that.
“But it does create that atmosphere. It’s wonderful at Ibrox or when Rangers come here, and you score, and your own fans are inside the ground. You want them behind. It just spurs you on.”
McFadden: “It’s visually better as well. If you are watching the game or you are in it. It definitely helps.
“I know it’s different, but Hearts are top of the table, they recently played at Ibrox, and they had that small corner. Had that been an extra couple of thousand Hearts fans, it would have made a different type of game.
“It was an amazing game and a brilliant advert for Scottish football. I just think when you have more away fans, it generates something different.”
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