NafisaMartin O’Neill wants Celtic to reject Rangers’ offer of just 300 away tickets for next month’s Premier Sports Cup quarter-final at Ibrox, insisting the allocation would strip one of football’s biggest fixtures of what makes it special.
The Old Firm rivals are set to meet at Ibrox on September 13, with the match coming under an intense spotlight after the disorder that followed their Scottish Cup quarter-final at the same stadium last season.
Rangers confirmed that Celtic would be offered only 300 tickets for the upcoming cup clash, citing continuing concerns over safety and further incidents involving supporters entering the pitch.
The decision has already sparked debate among supporters, with the traditional away allocation for an Old Firm fixture dramatically reduced.
And while O’Neill accepts that the authorities have to deal with the consequences of the previous trouble, the Celtic boss made it clear after Saturday’s 2-1 victory over Falkirk that he would rather see his club reject the allocation altogether.
O’Neill believes the atmosphere created by both sets of supporters is a fundamental part of the fixture and argued that reducing the away support to such a small number risks taking away from what makes the derby so unique.
Speaking after Celtic’s win at Parkhead, he said: “Well, we might as well not get any, if that’s the case, you know, so.
“My view, taking off, you know, my Celtic manager’s hat, I’m just looking at it from a viewpoint. It’s one of the great fixtures. Even if the teams are not of the standard of, you know, let’s say Paris Saint-Germain or Real Madrid, it is still a fantastic fixture.
“You realise how big it is in European games and in the world. People talk about it as a great game. And the best atmosphere is when the away fans have their allocation. That’s been my point the whole way. I thought from a distance, watching games when it was away, that it lost something.
“I remember, I think it came to one of these, one of the games here for Celtic and Rangers, and Rangers scored a goal in complete silence. So that’s not what you’re looking for. It’s still a crowd participation game.”
The Celtic manager’s comments come after Rangers explained that the restricted allocation was linked to concerns surrounding supporter behaviour and stadium safety.
The Scottish Cup meeting in March descended into ugly scenes after Celtic won a penalty shoot-out, with supporters from both clubs entering the pitch and fireworks being thrown.
An independent review later found that “crushing” and “life-threatening violence” had narrowly been avoided, while 43 arrests have subsequently been made in connection with the disorder.
The Scottish FA has since punished both Celtic and Rangers by ordering their next home Scottish Cup ties to be played behind closed doors, with both clubs also required to pay the visiting team £100,000.
That background means O’Neill knows there are serious issues surrounding supporter behaviour, but he believes the solution should not be allowed to permanently damage the Old Firm spectacle.
He pointed to the difference in atmosphere when away supporters are missing, recalling an occasion when Rangers scored at Celtic Park in front of a strangely quiet stadium.
“And that’s a shame. If these are the things that are happening because of it, if we’re both having to play behind closed doors for the next game if we’re at home, well, I don’t know. I’m not contesting that.
“But overall, it’s, you know, from a distance, it is a shame because it’s a phenomenal fixture. And when we played, we played the league game, and obviously, memory plays tricks on you at the end of the day, the league game where we were 2-0 down. I have not known noise like it at Ibrox for a long time, even in my day. Or so I think.
“It’s probably wrong, but it was phenomenal, you know. And just to be participating in that game gives you goosebumps. So that’s a shame. That’s a shame. But very obviously, if we’re going to, if they’re going to give us 300 tickets, I would rather say no. And we’ll give them one!”
The remark is likely to fuel the debate over whether the traditional Old Firm allocation can ever return, particularly with both clubs facing pressure to improve supporter behaviour.
O’Neill was then asked whether there was a possibility Celtic could actually follow his preference and refuse the 300 tickets.
He admitted he had no idea whether the club would take that approach.
“I genuinely don’t know that there. I’ll ask my learned friend, Iain, but I don’t know. I don’t know.
“It’s just that was my viewpoint on the thing.”
For now, the final allocation remains a major talking point ahead of the September showdown.
Celtic will head to Ibrox looking to continue their strong start under O’Neill, while Rangers will be desperate to use home advantage after their disappointing European exit.
But with only 300 visiting supporters potentially inside the stadium, the latest Old Firm meeting is already shaping up to be very different from the traditional spectacle.
And O’Neill has made his position crystal clear: if Celtic are only going to be given a token away support, he would rather have none at all.
Nafisa
