Should Celtic accept the Ibrox allocation of 700 tickets from Rangers and put them on sale to supporters for the upcoming derby?
That’s one of the big questions circulating around fan forums and social media tonight.
For me, the answer is no.
Celtic can’t let a precedent be set here if we truly want a return to the kind of derby experiences we all grew up with.
Okay, the days of a full Broomloan might be over. We’re not going to get seven or eight thousand supporters back in at Ibrox any time soon. Likewise for them at Celtic Park.
But there’s a compromise to be reached here and Rangers’ reported offer of 700 tickets is almost as absurd as zero. This isn’t how this fixture should progress.
Celtic should reject the chance to put these tickets on sale and release a statement saying that giving each other a more ‘European’ style of allocation is what they want moving forward. Put the ball back in their court.
Borussia Dortmund and Red Star Belgrade have both received healthy allocations in the Europa League in recent weeks.
It was reported by The Daily Record that German fans got 2,700 for the recent match in Govan. That’s much more like it and the kind of numbers that make sense in both stadiums for the derby.
Unless the Ibrox side are willing to do that, then forget it. The excuses are wearing thin.
Rangers started this whole mess by drastically reducing traditional away allocations for the derby. Although they’ll never admit it, the fact it came after repeated humiliations in the fixture is no coincidence.
Let’s end this nonsense and give supporters who travel home and away to Celtic and Rangers games the chance to watch their team. Accepting 700 tickets is satisfying to nobody.
In other news, The 12 Celtic players heading off on international duty before derby – unexpected absence.
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