Celtic are sitting comfortably at the top of the Scottish Premiership table right now, seven points ahead of the Rangers, who managed to make it to second after a win over St Mirren at the weekend. The Ibrox club are without a manager right now, after showing Michael Beale the exit door, but are expected to appoint one over the international break. Let’s see who it turns out to be.
Another topic that has been discussed quite a bit in Scottish footballing circles recently is the away ticket allocation. Of course, it has been an issue surrounding the Glasgow Derby for several years now.
Gone are the days when a large set of away fans were presented at Parkhead or Ibrox on Derby Day. That number dwindled down gradually and currently stands at zero. And it could remain that way for a while at least.
It is believed that the Ibrox club were keen for 800 travelling supporters to be in attendance at Parkhead on December 30. As reported by the Daily Mail (via Daily Record), Celtic will reject Rangers’ request for the upcoming match.
Celtic ready to reject Glasgow Derby request from Rangers
Of course, a lot of people believe that away fans not being present takes a lot away from the Glasgow Derby. And there is certainly truth to that.
But at the same time, there needs to be a long-term solution to the problem rather than continuing with the do as we go method that has been at play for some time now. There has been talk of a possible rule change in order to make sure that a minimum number of away tickets are provided for every game.
Even if that change happens, it will take some time for it to come into play. So do not expect to see any Rangers supporters present at Parkhead on December 30.