Barry Ferguson has made it clear he sees no justification for Rangers supporters being denied tickets for the final Old Firm clash of the season.
The former Rangers captain has urged Celtic to stick to the existing agreement with their Glasgow rivals over the allocation for travelling fans at Parkhead on 10 May, insisting the situation should not have reached this point in the first place.
Ferguson also made it clear he would be furious if the Ibrox support are not given their expected 2,500 tickets for what could end up being a decisive match in the William Hill Premiership title race.
The issue has now been escalated further, with Andrew Cavenagh raising concerns to the SPFL over Celtic’s stance on away supporters. A sub-committee has since been formed to assess the situation and deliver a ruling.
All of this comes at a critical time for Rangers, with Danny Rohl having already dropped points at home to Motherwell in the first post-split fixture. That result has only increased the pressure, with little room left for mistakes if silverware ambitions are to stay alive.
“Celtic can’t be serious with Rangers demand for Old Firm clash”
Speaking on Five Stars VIP on 28 April, Ferguson didn’t hide his frustration at how the situation is being handled.
He said: “I’d be absolutely raging if you don’t get that 2500 allocation. There’s an agreement in place. You’ve got to get the tickets. Rangers have got to get the tickets, plain and simple.”
Celtic’s position has centred on placing conditions around which Rangers supporters would be allowed to attend the fixture, with the club reportedly seeking control over how the allocation is distributed.
That approach has sparked criticism, with Ferguson among those questioning the logic of restricting access rather than honouring the original agreement between the two clubs.
While there is no denying the seriousness of the incidents at Ibrox following the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup quarter-final, the argument has been made that Rangers supporters as a whole should not be collectively penalised, particularly by refusing an away allocation at Parkhead.
The suggestion is that if Celtic want to adjust ticketing policies, it should be implemented moving forward, rather than impacting a fixture of this magnitude at the business end of the season.
Danny Rohl must learn lessons for Hearts and Celtic game
On the pitch, Rangers were also left frustrated by how Motherwell approached the game, with Jens Berthel Askou’s side causing real problems on the counter-attack.
Rohl’s team appeared to be caught off guard by the Steelmen’s setup, with the visitors happy to absorb pressure and strike quickly in transition, eventually punishing Rangers on three separate occasions.
Although the Rangers boss did make effective changes after the break, his side still faltered late on, allowing Motherwell to regain control and edge back ahead in the closing stages.
With fixtures against Hearts and Celtic now looming, Rohl is under no illusion that mistakes are no longer an option. All eyes will be on what the 37-year-old head coach can come up with as the title race reaches its decisive stretch.