Yesterday, Brendan took aim on behalf of our fans. Well done to him for it.

Yesterday, at his press conference, Brendan Rodgers took aim. He looked down the barrel of his gun and fired some shots at various targets.

I don’t want to get into a big thing about our own fans, particularly those who use pyro, as they’ve already had a talking-to from the boss. It’s not the first time, and I covered that yesterday, so there’s no need to rehash old ground.

But one of his other targets is worthy of discussion because it’s the first time someone from the club has been so openly critical about the situation facing our away fans.

Brendan said that this must be the richest league in the world, considering how many clubs have so many empty seats. It’s a valid criticism and one we’ve made repeatedly. It’s a topic that has been discussed endlessly on blogs, forums, and social media. The away fan experience has been diluted to the point of virtual non-existence. Some supporters’ buses don’t even bother traveling to away games anymore.

This is not the mark of a robust, healthy, and financially secure league. It’s happening at a time when Scottish clubs lag miles behind their counterparts in other countries. It’s happening while some of these clubs plead poverty. And it’s happening while a few clubs are battling relegation, which might leave them boasting about full grounds in the Championship instead.

Rodgers is spot on. This is nonsense, and although we’ve said it countless times before, this is the first time someone from the club has echoed those sentiments so directly. His disbelief is clear in his statement. How can there be so many empty stands? How can Celtic fans struggle for tickets, then go to games and see hundreds or even thousands of empty seats in home sections—seats we could have occupied?

We know this stems from fan power. Supporters of these clubs have lobbied their boards to cut our allocations, but this hurts the clubs themselves. I want a strong, healthy league because it benefits Celtic by providing better competition and preparing us for big matches abroad. I want these teams to have money to invest in their squads. How could you not want that? I want exciting games. So where is the sense—in the grand scheme of things and for the good of the game—in what these clubs are doing?

This is mob rule, plain and simple. We’ve talked about it before: fans lobbying their clubs into decisions that harm those same clubs. Directors seem incapable of saying no. It’s led to some absurd situations where fans effectively weaken their own teams.

I get that it’s frustrating for home fans when an away game feels like a home match for us. But that’s not our fault. Celtic supporters are being deprived of the chance to watch their team. If home fans were buying up their allocations, this wouldn’t even be a discussion. There’d be no debate. If demand outstripped supply, there’d be no argument. Clubs would have every right to prioritize their supporters.

That’s the reasoning Hearts and Aberdeen have given. While I don’t like it and don’t think it holds up to scrutiny, I can understand the logic. I also believe there should be a fair minimum allocation for away fans, in line with UEFA’s standards. Most of these clubs manage to sell our allocations anyway—yet we still see empty seats in places like Tynecastle and Pittodrie.

At other clubs, though, the argument is laughable. Their fans refuse to take up tickets themselves, yet claim it’s unfair. St. Johnstone at least explained to their supporters what cutting allocations would mean, and we’ll see how that plays out. But in their case, it’s obvious the board would rather not leave it to the fans.

This is why I believe a minimum guarantee could work if it went to a vote and was set at a reasonable level. Some clubs might even welcome the chance to say their hands are tied—that a consensus was reached to be fair to away fans. It would give them an excuse to sell those seats back to us.

Rodgers was clever to frame his comments around the pyro debate. That part of his statement was bound to grab media attention. Not only did he avoid directly attacking our fans, but he also stood up for them. It’s clear this issue isn’t just a deflection tactic for him; it’s something that’s been on his mind for a while. And he’s not alone.

The first episode of our re-launched podcast, The Trinity Tims, is live now. Please like, subscribe and share folks. We’re calling this one The Opening Goal.