Hearts have allocated just over 1000 tickets at Tynecastle for Celtic fans hoping to head to the game on the 26th of January, according to a report.
According to the Daily Record, Hearts have limited Celtic to just 1289 tickets. It’s an odd move, somewhat opposite the mood of today after fans were allowed back into stadia.
On the opening day of the season, Celtic fans weren’t allowed into Tynecastle at all.
The away capacity in Tynecastle’s Roseburn Stand is 3,676 [Football Ground Guide]. Therefore, Hearts are leaving 2,387 seats unallocated for the game against Celtic.
In a statement [HMFC], Hearts expressed their excitement about fans coming back to Tynecastle. They didn’t, however, give a reason for their low allocation to Celtic fans.
It’s the latest in a season-long back and forth between Hearts and Celtic. While stadia had red zones in place, at the start of the season, Hearts fans reacted angrily to not being allowed into Celtic Park. Even though the exact same thing happened in reverse mere weeks beforehand.
Then, Hearts took a huff over refereeing. After a 1-0 win for Celtic at Paradise in early December, Hearts manager Robbie Neilson hilariously said he’d “go to jail” if he spoke openly about referees [Daily Record]. That was compounded by former chairman Leslie Deans, who wanted the game replayed. It was all very, very funny.
Hearts are at it again; Celtic fans lose out but so do the coffers at Tynecastle
Weird, weird stuff. I suppose Hearts feel as if they can lose out on over 2,000 ticket sales. If they do, fair play to them, but what’s more likely is they want to suppress the atmosphere Celtic fans bring.
It reminds you of another club, doesn’t it? One that was routinely beaten in their own patch, then dramatically cut ticket allocations out of spite? Their name escapes us.
Look, either way; this is petty. Celtic had to cut the Hearts allocation for Paradise because it was prudent from a health perspective. It wasn’t just Hearts who didn’t have fans in the away section of Celtic Park.
Whether Celtic react in kind when Hearts next visit after the Premiership splits? It’s impossible to tell, obviously, but honestly, I hope not.
There’s far more satisfaction in sending away fans back on the road unhappy. Especially if their club are making it harder for Celtic fans to attend games at Tynecastle, and subsequently losing out on revenue.
This will undoubtedly rumble on. Suffice it to say, it’s weak stuff indeed from Hearts if it turns out to be the case.
Read more: Why today’s news left Daizen Maeda “excited” as he outlined his Celtic targets
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