The more I hear about the Hampden ticket arrangements, the more untenable I think the whole proposal is. It is rare to find something—whether our club is involved or the governing body is responsible—that has provoked such widespread opposition and scorn among so many elements of the fanbase.
I spent some time at the game yesterday speaking to fans about it, and the almost universal disgust was evident, particularly among the older generation. Many of them don’t enjoy technology or understand it the way younger fans do.
But even among younger supporters, this system is not popular.
The idea that tickets are fixed to your phone, that you can’t exchange them, that you can’t swap seats if you don’t like where you’re sitting or if you’d prefer to be with your mates—it’s a shambles.
It won’t go down well, and it’s only going to provoke anger. That anger isn’t going away, especially if these same restrictions are imposed for the final.
All throughout the day yesterday, whenever we spoke about it, the common thread in every conversation was this is Hampden, this is the SFA—what are they doing? But ultimately, it was up to our club to demand that this system not be imposed on us. It was up to our club to fight for the supporters instead of rolling over and giving the SFA whatever they wanted.
Whether Celtic was directly involved in the planning or just went along with it, the club cannot absolve itself of responsibility.
Now that people know the depth of anger out there—and believe me, it is deep—the club is fully aware of it too. The supporters’ association is angry. Its member clubs are angry. Individual fans, some of whom have emailed me, some of whom spoke to me yesterday, are angry.
And that tells you one thing—this is not something that will simply be forgotten about.
The club could still refuse to go along with this. In my view, it should be telling the SFA and Hampden where to go. But beyond that, it should be making it clear that under no circumstances will this be permitted for the final. If the club doesn’t take that stand, and if the SFA imposes this nonsense again for the biggest game of the season, I genuinely worry about what the future holds.
Nobody was consulted. Nobody was properly informed. One minute, we had a normal ticket arrangement, and the next, we had this—this absolute monstrosity, this abhorrence. And nobody should think that this is okay. The club shouldn’t be allowed to think it’s okay. The SFA shouldn’t be allowed to think it’s okay. It’s a dreadful system, and it should be the right of anyone who buys a ticket to have a paper copy. That’s the standard. That’s the expectation.
But the bigger lesson here is what this means for the future. We’ve all heard talk that next season’s season tickets will be digital-only. Nothing could be worse. No idea could be more foolish. For one thing, these phones are expensive, and plenty of fans don’t like carrying them to games. Batteries run out. Some people don’t even have smartphones. You wouldn’t want your matchday experience to be determined by whether your phone has enough charge left to get through the gate.
There are countless reasons not to do this. First and foremost, if fans were consulted, they wouldn’t want it. Sure, some supporters would prefer digital season tickets, and that’s fine—it should be an option. But even they wouldn’t want it imposed on everyone else. This is not a one-size-fits-all scenario.
We have fans in their 60s, 70s, and 80s. We have fans from every social background, including those who can’t afford smartphones or who don’t want one because they don’t want their personal data shared with outside agencies. And one of the most disturbing aspects of this entire situation was the requirement to download an SFA app and agree to share personal data with third parties—something a lot of people are absolutely against. That anyone should be forced to accept that just to buy a ticket is disgraceful, and nobody at Celtic should have signed off on it.
If the club tries to impose this at Celtic Park, the number of fans disenfranchised will be extraordinary. There will be thousands of empty seats at every game as supporters who can’t make it are forced to leave their seats unfilled. The club will lose money on this—on ticket sales, on concessions, on merchandising. It is an utterly self-destructive idea.
That doesn’t mean there aren’t people at Celtic Park considering it. But this should be their teachable moment. This should be the lesson they take from this disaster. This should be the line in the sand, the moment they realise this simply isn’t going to fly. And if they have any sense at all, any plans they had for digital-only tickets should go straight where they belong—in the bin.
Alas, I find myself defending the Hampden authorities. I used the Hampden ticketing app to attend the Glasgow Warriors Edinburgh rugby match just before Xmas. I bought 3 tickets, two of which I passed on to my mates once they too had installed the ticketing app to their phones. (We are all over 70) One of the aims of the scheme, is to prevent ticket touts “scalping” punters for crazy money to see a game / gig, as well as prevent ticket forgery.
I accept that there is an issue concerning smart phones, but it is possible to have 2 tickets on one phone and, provided one of the two is phone literate, for the first person to enter the ground and then pass the phone back to their mate to use the other ticket.
Ffs, the SFA can’t even get VAR right with the dodgy equipment they got on the cheap, mates rates of course.
They’ve probably sourced the Digital Ticket Scheme from TICKETUS or Delboy & Rodney Inc, Peckham.
It will be a fiasco, GUARANTEED. Another guarantee is that someone or group at the SFA will be getting a healthy kickback, under the radar ( Broon Paper Bags) or off shore accounts. Nae fiddley traceable EBTs for them.
Hope it’s a complete flop and a financial gubbing for the ‘Suits’ sorry meant ‘Blazers ‘n Broon Brogue’ wearers.
Hope the SFA’s Cup Sponsors, if they still actually have one, have a complete meltdown over the potential empty stands.
I was given a ticket last Sunday for the Greece game. The ticketing worked fine. The biggest problem was the tickets worked. Joking apart all over the world paper tickets have died out, just like ch
just like cheques. 50,000 people were at the game last week with a problem. The ticketless system will work just fine. It’s tough for oldies like me, 70 next week. But you have to go with the flow. Celtic just like Celtic tv are quite far behind.
Hmm, these things really should be phased in. Even for a season or two and could be extra 10 quid for option of physical card. I don’t have an issue per se with digital tickets, though given the phone reception and (lack of ) WiFi at Celtic Park I can see significant issues, as I imagine it will be one of these QR code things which changes every couple of minutes for security reasons. If it stops scalpers that’s a bonus, but it would have to be paired with a face value (or free) ticket exchange system. Which our club has constantly rejected out of hand.
More worrying though is that we essentially have a ticket to an entertainment show, but unlike almost every other one where not being able to make it allows you to gift the tickets, the SFA would prefer paid for empty seats. That tells you everything about the priorities here.
I’ve been to a few Scotland games with this and it works very easily. Only difference is you can transfer tickets easily to other people with the app which Celtic have said you won’t be able to do
It’s like that line from the mob boss in Goodfellas.
You don’t like it? Too bad.
Fuck you. Pay me.
Have used app for the last year it work’s fine at Hampden don’t think the problem is the SFA this time as I am no lover of them.The biggest problem is Celtic making them non transferable,we are the only club in Semi Final doing this as far a i can see looking at the other club’s web sites.I do not see what there problem is as you are responsible for the ticket’s that are issued against your group Also why are we being charged a booking fee for digital tickets usual money grabbing Celtic board
Aye – But What is an app Andy…
I gueuninely don’t have a fuckin scooby what it is –
I am in ma mid 50’s though so perhaps I need to be excused !
Hi Clachnacuddin
Would have preferred to keep paper ticket’s as that’s what we are used to but thing’s change.I had to get the app downloaded last year no choice if you wanted ticket’s, surely somebody can help set it up for you and as for age I’m 73 so if I can do it so can you.
The young yin’s in the family help when I see them Andy…
It’s just getting the time from them to do it as they have their own lives when I see them –
I’m pretty confident in a lot of ways just not the techy side – That said they did register me on here and at video celts and show me how to post ma letters onto them !
I don’t think the issue is the fact that digital tickets are the future, i think it is more the timing of it. I don’t recall reading that they planned to adopt this system for tickets so folk don’t have time to prepare for the switch over. I do think it will help prevent ticket touts etc so i see it as a positive thing.
Also I’m sure club used same system at POTY award at Hydro last season, I don’t recall anyone complaining about it then.
I only have one thing to say –
Would this have been rolled out had Queens Park not given us the most lovely Valentines Football February…
Not a fuckin snowballs chance in hell !