A lot is already being made about the breaking news that Celtic fans will get the full Broomloan for the March 8 quarter final at Ibrox.
Fans are understandably reacting in a fair amount of annoyance at this news, but, as usual, the devil is in the detail.
The old 850 reduced allocation under Dave King and the fall out that went on over that ONLY applied in the league.
Truth
And the rules of that tournament allow the visitors to receive up to 20% of the ticket allocation.
This hasn’t been an issue for 16 years because all meetings (bar COVID 2021) between the sides have been semi-finals and finals, and that’s of course at Hampden.
This is the first meeting prior to that stage in front of a crowd (Covid) for wildly approaching 20 years.
Rules
So yes, alas, for those alarmed by Rangers giving Celtic fans the full Broomloan, that’s the rules and always was.
20% would of course be 10000, but Rangers objected to that. Celtic wanted the lot, Rangers were offering 5, and the compromise is around 7000.
And while we dislike timmies as much as anything it’s the way it used to be. It will sound FAR more like the old school Old Firm matches of yesteryear.
Two sets of raucous fans screaming blue murder at each other for 90 minutes. It’s how an Old Firm should sound.
Outrage?
But for those outraged at Rangers giving them this allocation, it’s Scottish Cup rules.
If Rangers hadn’t agreed to this compromise, the club would have to forfeit the result as a 0-3 to Celtic. If the hosts don’t adhere to the rules the match can’t go ahead.
So them’s the luck folks.
They will pack the Broomloan whether we like it or not.
Best way to deal with it is silence them.