NafisaCeltic supporters have barely had time to digest the prospect of another Old Firm showdown before a major issue surrounding the Rangers clash has already started causing frustration around Parkhead.
The Hoops were handed a trip to Ibrox in the Premier Sports Cup quarter-final draw, setting up another meeting between the Glasgow giants just months after their previous cup encounter ended in extraordinary scenes.
For Celtic, there was initially plenty to look forward to.
Martin O’Neill’s side have been showing encouraging signs, Rangers have finally picked up their first competitive win under Derek McInnes, and the quarter-final promises to be one of the biggest games of the round.
But there is one particular detail that has supporters looking back at what happened during the last meeting between the clubs.
And it could have a major impact on the atmosphere inside Ibrox.
Celtic fans were expecting another huge travelling support
When Celtic travelled to Ibrox for last season’s Scottish Cup quarter-final, the travelling support was one of the defining features of the occasion.
The Hoops were given the entire Broomloan Stand, allowing more than 8,000 Celtic supporters to make the short trip across Glasgow.
That was possible because Scottish Cup regulations allow visiting clubs to receive up to 20 per cent of the available capacity.
The decision created the kind of Old Firm atmosphere that had become increasingly rare after years of reduced away allocations.
But what happened after the final whistle changed the conversation completely.
Celtic won the dramatic encounter on penalties after the match finished goalless following extra time.
The celebrations then descended into chaos as supporters from both clubs entered the pitch, with police forced to intervene while objects and pyrotechnics were thrown.
The SFA subsequently commissioned an independent review into the disorder, while both clubs faced disciplinary scrutiny. Rangers’ hearing relating to the incident has since been delayed until August 24.
And that history is now impossible to ignore.
The League Cup rules are very different
This is where Celtic supporters have been hit with the major piece of news.
The Premier Sports Cup is run by the SPFL, rather than under the Scottish Cup’s ticketing regulations.
That means Celtic do not have an automatic entitlement to 20 per cent of Ibrox for the quarter-final.
The SPFL rules instead require a “reasonable number” of tickets for visiting supporters, with the precise allocation subject to agreement between the clubs. If the clubs cannot agree, the SPFL Board can ultimately determine the arrangements.
In other words, the 7,500-plus ticket allocation Celtic enjoyed in the Scottish Cup cannot simply be demanded again.
That is the part likely to disappoint supporters who were hoping for another packed Broomloan Stand.
The expected number is a fraction of what Celtic had before
Nothing has been officially confirmed yet regarding the final Celtic allocation.
However, current expectations are that the clubs could settle around the usual five-per-cent figure, which would mean approximately 2,500 Celtic supporters rather than the 7,500-plus who travelled for the Scottish Cup quarter-final.
That would represent a dramatic reduction.
And it is precisely why the ticket situation has already become such a major talking point.
Celtic supporters can point to the fact that the previous full allocation produced an extraordinary occasion and argue that the two clubs should find a way to recreate that atmosphere.
But Rangers can also point towards the disorder that followed that same match.
The last full away allocation did not exactly provide the perfect argument for repeating the experiment.
Another Old Firm battle is now waiting
The timing makes everything even more interesting.
This is not simply another league meeting.
It is a knockout cup tie, with a place in the Premier Sports Cup semi-finals on the line.
Rangers will be desperate to build on their 5-1 victory over St Mirren and use the Celtic fixture as an opportunity to demonstrate how far McInnes has taken the team.
Celtic, meanwhile, will arrive knowing that another victory at Ibrox would send an enormous message.
And with the two sides scheduled to meet again in the Premiership only a week later, the September fixture could effectively become the beginning of an Old Firm double-header.
That makes every detail around the first meeting significant.
Including the number of supporters inside the stadium.
Celtic’s frustration is understandable — but the rules are clear
From a Celtic perspective, the frustration is obvious.
The club’s supporters experienced the return of a huge away following at Ibrox earlier this year, and many will naturally have hoped that the League Cup draw would provide another opportunity.
Instead, the competition’s different regulations mean there is no automatic route to another bumper allocation.
And the scenes that followed the previous meeting certainly haven’t helped the case for increasing the number of visiting supporters.
For now, though, the final allocation remains to be formally agreed.
What is becoming increasingly clear is that Celtic are not going to simply receive another 20 per cent of Ibrox because they did so in the Scottish Cup.
The League Cup is a different competition, different rules apply, and the previous Ibrox disorder has made the question of away supporters even more sensitive.
So while the football itself will ultimately decide who reaches the semi-finals, another battle is already brewing off the pitch.
And this time, it is over how many Celtic fans will actually get to watch the Old Firm clash from inside Ibrox.
Nafisa
