The SPFL posted a very self-congratulatory message on their website this morning, announcing that there has been a resolution in the Celtic-Ibrox ticket standoff, one which ends with a minimum ticket guarantee for both clubs. Each will get 5% of the other’s ground.
The SPFL is hailing this as if this was a triumph and that it was solely down to them.
But in fact, of course, this is nothing of the sort. Allocations will be one third of what they were before Ibrox’s pathetic and petty behaviour changed not only the fixtures between the two clubs but sparked a raft of similar reductions all across Scottish football’s top flight, and even into the second tier recently. All the while, the SPFL did nothing.
Our “governors” have failed to govern, it’s really as simple as that.
They could have taken this matter out of the hands of the clubs – they should have, in fact. Ibrox should never have been allowed to just unilaterally slash our allocation without any consultative process, and in doing so endangering our fans. Even when it was clear that they done exactly that the SPFL still failed to do anything to assure our supporter’s safety.
They abrogated their own responsibilities at every turn here.
A minimum allocation guarantee should have been written in stone in the league’s constitution before now; that this issue has had to be forced is lamentable.
And forced is the right word, because that’s exactly what has happened here. Celtic has forced the SPFL to get involved in this.
When it became clear that Scottish football’s governing body had no intention of actually doing any governing we were forced to take matters into our own hands.
Fan safety at Ibrox could not be assured, their club was not interested in making that a priority and so we refused tickets for the games, that’s what happened. Then, when it became clear that even this was not going to move the needle we banned theirs from Celtic Park pending a resolution.
We had to drag the SPFL into this kicking and screaming.
This was not some example of great leadership from them, it was another example of how spineless they are and how ineffective.
They can spare us the “oh look how well we’ve done” garbage. It was Celtic, in showing that they were willing to ban Ibrox fans entirely, who got this solution.
Without us taking that action, we’d still be reduced to 700 fans there. Nobody at Hampden offered leadership of any kind, and they still aren’t.
I really don’t know who they are trying to kid here.
I agree with you James but, being honest, I think 2500 of us at Ibrox and 3000 of them at CP is a good compromise. I know me saying that will not sit well with many fellow Tims. But I refer back to your point re: brinkmanship with the SFA. All sides had come away feeling they got something. There was no way we were ever getting 7.5K at Ibrox ever again. So they got what they wanted, we got something out it and the beaks claim the credit.
I’d say that’s just about acceptable.
The tragic bit Roosna is the fact that the beaks (SPFL) will claim the credit for it all when their complete inability to govern Sevco (and everyone else on ticketing) has brought about this whole circumstance…
It’s no bloody wonder that Scottish Football is the utter laughing stock of the universe far less the world !
It’s amazing how many of our support are happy to just roll over and get their belly tickled, the game is about getting people into stadiums whilst taking safety into consideration, both clubs could sell their grounds out without the opposition support but surely that’s not in the spirit of the game, the gers spat the dummy out and could’nt stomach seeing celtic celebrating on their patch, as usual with that club it was petulant tactics.
That’s your take on it. That’s not an irrefutable fact. The irrefutable fact is that the ibrox club listened to their fans complain that season ticket holders were not getting to support their team at home matches v Celtic.
Why should they care about us? I couldn’t give a fk about them. Do you? No.
So what we need is common sense. It’s such a pity that there is so little of it to go around when it comes to us v that lot.
Belly tickled indeed! Give me strength!
The SPFL do not have any right to claim credit in resolving this matter and in fact has not really resolved it to a proper conclusion anyway. 2,500 fans in the rat pit won’t help the atmosphere all that much, a small eddy in a sea of hate, and I don’t think we should be giving them 3,000 tickets either despite the percentage factor. The only good thing is that their fans big blue hooters will be out of joint that any of us are there at all. Personally, a full Celtic Park with none of them present to sour the atmosphere is also my preference.
after use and the klan do you think scottish football offers anything i think sky had a big say because no away fans both ways and the money would have stopped our game is already gubbed .
I agree, the outcome is probably the right one. The process was obviously a farce. But 2.5-3k away allocations is probably more in line with the modern setup. I wait with bated breath to see how they will arrange this in a safe way.
Interesting this is the day after the Brendan enquiry – connected – I have an odd feeling about this – as you said James “long view” and also “Celtic Shield” – here comes the “storm”
A know its a resolution but I was quite happy if we had kept that lot out of our ground period!!!
Less is best eh? How much safer can we all feel now? Seems like slightly more Celtic fans safety can be jeopardised.
The rankers must feel on top of the world right now with their accepted impositions on Celtic. The unacceptable is the new acceptable for our club. What an absolute surrender shambles we have become. HH
Oh dear God … I mean honestly …
Lol james honestly .But what I do find strange a day after the high roller rolled up to hampden we have got this ,I’m not a conspiracy theorist but this didn’t happen out the blue .Now both teams have to guarantee safety ,this is a developing story never asked you before but trust me.
I think performances on the pitch will drive attendance. I’m old enough to remember a part full “Rangers end” at CP despite tickets being available them when we were fighting the “New Firm” for honours (indeed in those days, Celtic v Aberdeen was THE game for atmosphere). Let’s do our talking on the pitch – starting on the plastic at Livingstone – and go from there.