The Scottish Premiership is on the cusp of instigating a transformative proposal, one that aims to standardise the allocation of away tickets. While there is no definitive proposal on the table yet on how it would work, the percentage rule used by UEFA seems to be something many want to look at. This initiative, though noble in its intent to bring uniformity across the league, presents a peculiar disadvantage for Celtic FC, bearing the hallmark of a double-edged sword.
Celtic, boasting the largest stadium in Scottish football with a capacity of 60,000, finds itself at the receiving end of a skewed equation. The proposal, if approved, will mandate Celtic to allocate a higher number of tickets to travelling supporters, relative to what they would receive, especially when visiting Ibrox, the home of their arch-rivals Rangers, which has a seating capacity of 50,000. The disparity is stark and raises the question—would the Celtic faithful find this trade-off palatable, merely for the prospect of a more vibrant atmosphere at away fixtures?
The discrepancies in ticket allocations for away supporters have been a bone of contention, most notably highlighted in the heated exchanges between Celtic and Rangers. The recent refusal by Celtic to grant Rangers an allocation of 800 tickets for the Glasgow derby at Parkhead on December 30 exemplifies the prevailing discord. This decision was a sequel to Celtic’s own abstention from taking an away ticket allocation for their previous encounter at Ibrox, a stance rooted in safety concerns.
Safety, indeed, has been a recurring theme in Celtic’s narrative. The club has opted out of ticket allocations at Ibrox for the last two derbies, underscoring the security of their supporters as the paramount concern. This narrative extends beyond the Glasgow Derby rivalry, with other clubs like Hearts also engaging in the act of slashing ticket quotas for away fans, albeit with a notable exception for their city rivals, Hibernian.
The current guidelines of the Scottish Premiership are nebulous at best, advising clubs to allocate a “reasonable” number of tickets to away fans, a term that has birthed varying interpretations and subsequent disagreements. The impending vote on January 22 during an SPFL meeting, as reported by the Scottish Daily Mail, is poised to address these ambiguities. Yet, it propels Celtic into uncharted waters.
Interestingly, Celtic, despite their recent tiff with Rangers, has been an advocate for larger away crowds, a stance motivated by the belief that smaller numbers exacerbate security concerns. Drawing a parallel, UEFA mandates a 5% stadium capacity allocation to visiting supporters in its competitions. If the Scottish Premiership mirrors this model, it will herald a significant shift in the dynamics of ticket allocations. For instance, derbies at Celtic Park could see nearly 3,000 away supporters, while Ibrox could accommodate around 2,500.
The proposal, while aiming to bring clarity and possibly enrich the electrifying atmosphere of Scottish Premiership matches, places Celtic in a precarious position. The overarching question remains—would Celtic fans embrace this change, knowing the inherent disadvantage it brings to their club, especially in the historically charged fixtures against Rangers? Only time, and possibly the atmosphere in the stands, will tell.
