No matter the situation, Celtic supporters are renowned for traveling large numbers to support their team at away games around the nation.
Travels to Europe have historically produced a great deal of enthusiasm as hoops fans travel by automobile, train, and plane to support their team abroad.
Closer to home, though, Ibrox hasn’t seen a sizable visiting audience in a number of years.
Rangers initially decided to reduce Celtic’s allotment at Ibrox from 8000 to 600 in 2018, citing a rise in demand from their own supporters.
Since then, the two teams have been at odds over how many fans should be permitted to visit each other’s stadiums; yet, there has never been a formal agreement to go back to the prior number.
It’s unknown if Brendan Rodgers’ team will have boisterous support when they play the Rangers at the beginning of April.
Reports surfaced earlier this year suggesting that negotiations had taken place over a settlement, but no formal declaration has yet to be made.
To be quite honest, the discussion has grown pretty boring, and it would be good if something was done to stop the never-ending loop that the Glasgow Derby’s lack of an away atmosphere creates.
Former Celtic man Paul Lambert pitches in on allocation debate
Paul Lambert is more familiar than most with the advantages of having a sizable away crowd on derby day, having played in front of an ardent Celtic fan base at Ibrox on numerous occasions.
The 54-year-old is naturally eager to see both clubs resolve the issue and puzzled as to why it hasn’t been resolved sooner because things are “not the same” without the back-and-forth between opposing fans.
“The Old Firm games are built on the support and rivalry between the two sets of fans,” said Lambert (quoted in The Daily Record). When I was younger, we used to receive a 7,000-or-so allotment for out-of-town supporters, and it always made the game. That decision-maker needs to have their mind examined.
“It was the wrong decision to deny fans entry; everyone in the world is interested in seeing that game.” I’ve had inquiries from people all around the world about attending an Old Firm game. Without the away fans, it’s just not the same show and is quite different. The person who took that decision has lost something in the game.
“People would be interested in watching Celtic vs. Rangers play on the moon because of the intensity and scale of the match.”
“People must look at this game and be so perplexed as to why there are no fans there,” he subsequently said, referring to the spectator perspective.
In their pursuit of the championship, Celtic need all the help they can get, and it would be good to see an allocation come back in some capacity—possibly in time for their upcoming trip across town.
The authorities will have to decide whether or not to restore the entire quota from prior years, but in any case, there must be some kind of clarification from both parties.
