Stephen McGinn has shared some interesting thoughts on the ongoing derby allocation mess between Celtic and Rangers.
The Hoops came out on top at Ibrox on Sunday without a single supporter inside the stadium. It was the latest low point in a debacle that has been going on since the summer of 2018.
Back then, after four successive home defeats to Celtic, Rangers decided to cut our allocation from around 7,000 to just 800. (The Scotsman)
It was a case of them throwing the toys out of the pram after witnessing the entire Broomloan Stand celebrating Celtic derby wins on multiple occasions.
We reciprocated for games at Celtic Park. Things dragged on in that fashion for a few years and then Celtic refused an allocation for the past two derbies due to safety concerns at Ibrox.
It all led to an eerily silent, but joyous, moment when Kyogo Furuhashi struck past Jack Butland just before half time on Sunday.
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“Something’s got to change,” said Falkirk player McGinn on Tuesday’s ‘Go Radio Football Show‘.
“Whether the league get involved, or Sky get involved because I thought the atmosphere was poor for a Celtic vs Rangers game.
“I hope Celtic do the right thing and give Rangers tickets for the next one. Long-term they’ve got to try and bring some sort of allocation back.
“If they take away the fans, what is it? It’s just another game. Anyone tuning in to that game on Sunday is probably thinking: ‘what atmosphere?’
“Rangers have made their bed for the season. They’ve sold off the tickets. But Celtic can do the right thing and give Rangers an allocation.”
McGinn makes a lot of good points about the spectacle of the fixture nowadays. He will, however, be left disappointed if he’s expecting Celtic to give Rangers tickets for the New Year’s clash. The reality is different.
The problem nowadays with this discourse is that the waters have been muddied so much that it almost seems like an issue both clubs are responsible for.
As we told you in March, Celtic are open to a return of traditional allocations at both stadiums. It is our rivals who are the ones against that, offering us only around 700 tickets these days.
Perhaps one mistake Celtic have made in this whole ordeal has been not going on the record about where the club stand. An official statement outlining our stance and Rangers’ objections would likely have had everyone pointing the finger at one club.
As it is, it seems like we are as much to blame for the frankly bizarre situation of little or no fans at one of the world’s biggest derbies. Hopefully a solution can be found soon.
In other news, Celtic get their UEFA Women’s Champions League campaign underway on Wednesday