Martin O’Neill has hinted at a full return to traditional allocations ahead of Celtic’s double-header against Rangers.
Since 2018, Glasgow Derbies haven’t looked and sounded the same, since the Ibrox side decided to call a sudden halt to the 8,000-strong away crowds that we’d been so used to.
In a farcical eight years since, Celtic were eventually forced to refuse any allocation at all due to fan safety concerns, resulting in the agreed 3,000 allocations we currently have in place.
However, next Sunday’s Scottish Cup tie will see the full Broomloan Stand filled with Celtic fans, in a return to the old days – and O’Neill has hinted at this becoming the norm again.
Do you reckon these reduced allocations have taken the edge off the Glasgow derby?
Martin O’Neill on Celtic vs Rangers allocations
Speaking ahead of this weekend’s huge match in the title race, O’Neill said: “I think if you’re playing at home, you’d have a very obvious advantage, in that sense.
“Obviously, the Old Firm fixtures really are something special.
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“I said to you before that when they finally allow – I’m sure it will happen in the not-too-distant future – the full allocation of away fans at both grounds, it will be terrific.”
“I think we are for the cup game, which is great. But they definitely are special, and having been down south for quite some time, they’re still talked about, which is great.”
Asked about the team’s confidence, O’Neill said: “I don’t think we ever lost confidence.
“I seem to be debating this point, but we got beaten last week, last Thursday in the game here at home.
“I never thought it was 4-1, the fourth goal probably, in many aspects, knocked it beyond us.
“It didn’t seem that after we scored early, and then there’s a last-ditch tackle on Maeda about four-five minute later. It could’ve been 2-0 at that stage.
“But it was a tough ask, it always was. We played really well in the game, and if you think that we maybe lost confidence from the Hibs game, which I don’t think we did, then it’s restored, maybe, after last night’s performance.”
O’Neill is hoping to guide Celtic to their first win at Ibrox since the first derby of the 2023-24 season.
Is the title race officially over if Celtic lose this weekend?
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