There is a major rumour doing the rounds that the Old Firm ticketing fiasco has finally reached a compromise and Rangers and Celtic will offer each other 2750 tickets going forward.

The big current claim is that Rangers will offer Celtic that number for April’s Old Firm clash, and Celtic will, naturally, reciprocate for the Split edition should it take place at Parkhead, which it probably will.

This is a breakthrough, if this is true – while it’s not the 7,000 of yesteryear it marks a thawing of the silly ice Dave King created when he cut the tickets of the Old Firm visitors to 850 to reward Ibrox season ticket holders.

Celtic then did likewise till we ended up in this ridiculous situation of no away fans.

Almost 3000 would be fine, not spectacular, but fine, and it would mark a return to a decent away support at an Old Firm with opposition of chants and the proper poisonous atmosphere we all know and love.

Will it happen?

It’s not confirmed yet, but something definitely has to give. The Old Firm is the jewel in the Scottish crown, the biggest carrot the Scottish game has to give, without it there is absolutely nothing redeemable about the SPL.

And having no away fans at these games is more or less the same thing as no match, no jewel.

The historic rivalry of the fans, the slurring each other, the rowdiness is part of what makes the Old Firm the most unique and historic derby on earth (even if incredibly immature Celtic fans or websites want to claim the 2012 nonsense and that the Old Firm is gone).

Without this match they are toast, they are nothing, and as much as they want to chirp about their alleged 9IAR, it was valueless without a proper Rangers in opposition.

And the Old Firm atmosphere is just as important.

Here’s hoping it is back.