Celtic may turn down Ibrox tickets

[Gonzo79 15,299]

I couldn't care less what Lawwell or Chris Sutton say.  They're nothing but a pair of attention seeking twats.

 

Let's just focus on Rangers.

 

 

[aweebluesoandso 290]

Sutton will be unemployed shortly. he should concentrate his energies on that, no bothering hard working Rangers fans.

[ian1964 10,761]

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Post lifted from FF

 

I have tried to resist wading into this argument, but I cannot help it, so here goes nothing...

The correct decision to move Celtic fans into the corner has been made – and it should never be reversed.

Contrary to what others – who are more concerned with missing out on tickets for Parkhead than anything else, in my opinion – are trying to now suggest, this is something that a huge majority of our fans wanted, and the news was greeted with widespread praise for our board having the balls to upset the status quo and give our support what they wanted.

We should not have to go back to why the decision to move Celtic fans was a good one, but since some of our support seem to be falling for Peter Lawell's propaganda, here are some reasons to remind the doubters as to why our decision is entirely sensible and correct:

* The safety of our players – particularly our goalkeeper – is compromised by Celtic fans having the entire Broomloan stand.
Under no circumstances should our players' safety be compromised by an ever-increasingly out-of-control support who view our players and supporters as fair game.

* Celtic gain a sporting advantage by their fans having the entire Broomloan stand.
Name me one other big derby in world football where an away support gets such a prominent position?
Most other clubs tuck their rivals away in areas they cannot be seen – like Celtic do to our fans at Parkhead, incidentally – in order to make their ground as hostile as possible.
Given how important the results of Old Firm games can be in a title race, it is astonishing that we still have some fans who do not want us to make the most of home advantage just so they can still get a ticket for their day out at Parkhead.
When Celtic had the entire Broomloan stand, it meant our goalkeeper played half a game with a hostile support behind him. The exact same situation the away goalkeeper faced. In what way is this home advantage for us?
Then you have to consider the fact that at the Parkhead Old Firm games our keeper plays both halves with a hostile support behind him, whereas the home goalkeeper obviously plays the entire game with his own support behind him.
This means that over the four Old Firm games in the league, Allan McGregor plays 90 minutes with Rangers fans behind him and 270 minutes with Celtic fans behind him.
By contrast, Craig Gordon plays 270 minutes with Celtic fans behind him and only 90 minutes with Rangers fans behind his goal.
In a game of fine margins, how can any Rangers fan be happy at that situation?

* We have a record number of season-ticket holders and it is our club's duty to look after them.
Prior to the board's decision, we had a situation that saw a large number of our season-ticket holders not get a ticket for Old Firm games because they were moved so that we could accommodate Celtic fans.
On what planet is this an acceptable situation?
Our young fans are the future of our club and we should be doing everything possible to keep them interested in Rangers. It's hard enough to do this thanks to things like the EPL, Barcelona, Real Madrid, video games etc. We certainly should not be rewarding these youngsters' support by turfing them out so that we can prioritise an away support and club who despise us.

* In terms of a spectacle, images are beamed around the world that showed the Celtic fans in a prominent position at Ibrox. With us not having parity at Parkhead by being tucked away in a marginalised position, it creates the idea that we are lesser than them.
This has been a deliberate move on their part. Yet, we still see to have some Rangers fans happy to effectively buy into this idea just so they can still get a ticket for Parkhead. It is, quite frankly, an astonishing thing to get your head around.

* The Celtic fans are up in arms about this decision. Why do you think this is?
The very fact they hate that we have finally got a board with the balls to put them in their place is something they cannot take.
This certainly reinforces the belief that we have made the correct decision.
And please do not fall for the recent chat about the atmosphere of these games suffering due to our decision. Some of the best atmospheres we have ever experienced at Ibrox has been European games where the away support certainly did not have the entire Broomloan stand.
This is a viewpoint the Celtic propaganda machine wants to promote. The same applies for safety issues. Do yourself a favour and do not fall for their dark arts.

* Why should we be treating Celtic fans differently to fans of any other club?
By giving them special treatment and providing them with the entire Broomloan stand, we are effectively, as a club and support, buying into the idea they want to cultivate about them being a bigger club than us.

For me, any Rangers fan who wants this decision to be reversed is either: 1) not properly considering the countless positives that punting them to the corner has for our our club; or 2) selfishly putting their own desire to get a ticket for Parkhead ahead of a decision that is in the best interests of our club and the huge majority of our supporters.

If it is #1, I hope my post helps provide some clarity as to why it is quite simply a brilliant move from our board.

If it is #2, then the very nature of your selfishness means either myself or the many others making excellent points on this subject are unlikely to change your mind.
I am just sorry that we seem to have some supporters whose thinking on this matter is more in line with Lawell, his apologists in the press, and Celtic fans, rather than that of our board members and the majority of our support.

To conclude, I cannot bloody wait for December 29.
The atmosphere at our European games of late has been incredible – and I think this game could top the lot.
Ibrox will truly be a Blue Sea Of Ibrox – and I, for one, would once again like to thank our board for making this happen.

The decision to move Celtic fans to the corner should never be reversed.

[Gonzo79 15,299]

That's a decent post.  I think it goes a bit over the top on the hostile atmosphere for a goalkeeper thing though.

 

Any Bear who wants to see Rangers season ticket holders lose out on big matches to appease scum wants to have a word with himself.

[ranger_syntax 4,424]

1 minute ago, Gonzo79 said:

Any Bear who wants to see Rangers season ticket holders lose out on big matches to appease scum wants to have a word with himself.

This is why it never will be reversed.

 

The anger among season ticket holders would be so great that the board would never consider it.

[ian1964 10,761]

HOME ALONE

Rangers reducing Celtic’s allocation to sell more season tickets has done everyone favour… the game is more trouble than it’s worth, says Davie Provan

I’ll bet you Dave King and Peter Lawwell would privately be happy to forfeit their ticket allocation when they’re away from home.

 

WE’RE deep into extra time in the 1980 Old Firm Scottish Cup Final.

Celtic are one up and have a corner at the Rangers end of Hampden.

Bobby Lennox and I are over the ball about to work it short when I feel the draft of an empty wine bottle missing my head by a whisker. It’s been launched from the terracing 20 yards away.

That’s how it was back then when supporters could take booze into grounds. Being hit by a coin was a bonus when it could easily have been a screwtop.

At the end of that final, we had scenes described by commentator Archie Macpherson as “something out of Apocalypse Now”.

A full-scale pitch invasion by Old Firm punters saw mounted police draw batons for the first time since the General Strike of 1926.

Under a hail of bottles, police tried to keep charging Old Firm fans apart at the national stadium.

This was Scottish football’s showpiece occasion.

Television footage of the riot led nationwide news bulletins and was beamed around the planet. Images of cowering kids caught up in the crossfire were sickening.

More recently, images of Hugh Dallas, blood streaming from his head, heaped further shame on this fixture.

In the week Celtic announced they might refuse tickets for next month’s Old Firm clash, the decision should be taken out of both clubs’ hands.

Police Scotland should have banned away fans years ago. Yeah, it would be an advantage for Steven Gerrard’s side to have the whole of Ibrox behind them, but Brendan Rodgers’ boys would have the same edge at Celtic Park in March.

By reducing Celtic’s allocation to sell more season tickets, Dave King has done everyone a favour.

Already, Celtic have retaliated and if this leads to an all-out ban on away fans for Old Firm games, I’ll drink to that.

In the past this fixture has cost lives. Taking the hatred out of it by banning away supporters would be a step forward. The game is more trouble than it’s worth.

Ahead of the Ibrox clash, police will plan a military operation to keep punters apart. Govan will become a no-go area for the general public that Saturday.

As the fall-out from the game reaches the city centre, our doctors and nurses will be overrun.

Some believe banning away fans will ruin the Old Firm spectacle. What spectacle? The sight of two tribes spewing sectarian hatred at each other?

Sorry, but we shouldn’t be celebrating the atmosphere of this game. It embarrasses every one of us.

By the time I hung the boots up I’d more than 30 Old Firm games under my belt. I didn’t enjoy any of them.

Sure, when you’re two up and the game’s into stoppage time you savour the moment. But all the stuff that’s going on around you is depressing. Before telescopic tunnels, players from both sides would be showered in spit getting off the pitch.

In the meantime, it would all be kicking off in the city’s pubs which were to be avoided win, lose or draw. You don’t have to look for trouble after an Old Firm game, it’ll find you.

Look, much has changed since my time. Punters can no longer take drink into grounds. All-seated stadia and CCTV surveillance have made policing easier.

Where the cops used to wade into the mayhem when bottles were flying, grounds are more sanitised now. But if there are fewer arrests, it’s only because police keep a tight lid on it.

When it comes to intensity, the Glasgow derby puts England’s biggest fixtures in the shade. Bring a guest from down south and they’re blown away by the noise. But the atmosphere feeds off hatred, not sport.

There was a time when this game could genuinely claim to be one of the great derbies because of the quality on the pitch.

When the clubs met at Ibrox in 1967, both were preparing for European finals. Now they find themselves making up the numbers in Europe.

The demand for tickets is still there but I’ll bet you King and Peter Lawwell would privately be happy to forfeit their ticket allocation when they’re away from home.

If nothing else, it would save them the embarrassment of having to replace trashed toilets and seats.

https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/sport/football/3536968/rangers-celtic-ticket-allocation-davie-provan/

[Tannochsidebear 2,429]

Wow, one of the best articles from the Scottish papers I have read on Scottish football in years, and it remarkably comes from Provo. I wholeheartedly agree with him on this.

[MacK1950 2,399]

Nothing to disagree with a very good article.

I remember at the semi-final v them on our journey,I went to the toilet at half-time,practically had to cut my way in through the tobacco and other illegal smell of smoke,struggled to get to the urinal due to singing and dancing of our "great fans?" singing the bile that is banned in the seats,most objectionable IMO.

AT full-time my son went to the same toilet and came out to say that it had been trashed.

Why?????????

So the above article bears total truth in DP's points.

[Gonzo79 15,299]

I think Provan's article strays very much into drama queen territory.  It's that kind of viewpoint that'll be seen to justify further legislation which sees football fans treated like common criminals.

 

Glasgow derbies (these days) are more like a pantomime than a war.  I've been attending them for nearly 30 years and have never once felt remotely unsafe or offended.

 

As for going to the toilet, nothing can be as bad as the stench of urine at Easter Road before the redevelopment. 

 

 

[ian1964 10,761]