Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers has claimed that the Old Firm Derby away fan issue is not down to anyone else but their bitter Glasgow rivals, Rangers.
Recent Old Firm games have been played without away fans due to an ongoing dispute between Celtic and Rangers over ticket allocations for Scotland's biggest match.
The feud began in 2021 when Rangers withdrew their offer of 700 tickets to Celtic fans for the Ibrox derby after Celtic wouldn’t guarantee the same number for the return fixture.
Despite a March agreement to allocate 5% of tickets to rivals, recent disputes and behind-the-scenes talks with Glasgow City Council and police have led to no away fans being allowed at the next two games in September and January.
Celtic informed Rangers that they won’t be issuing tickets for the September 1 game and doubt Ibrox will be ready for the return match at New Year.
A statement from Rangers on Wednesday read: "The allocation to be implemented by both clubs was clear, and Rangers were taking all steps towards fulfilling that agreement. In the meantime, we can confirm that no away allocation will apply for the January Old Firm fixture at Ibrox. This is consistent with the reciprocity embedded in the agreement reached between the clubs and the SPFL."
Also, the SPFL confirmed an agreement that the next two derbies will have a "zero allocation for away supporters." "However, they went on to add, "Thereafter, Rangers and Celtic will provide ticket allocations of around 5% of their respective stadium capacities for away supporters for SPFL matches between the two clubs. This remains subject to all necessary requirements being satisfied at both Ibrox and Celtic Park."
An SPFL spokesperson added: "The presence of away fans is a vital ingredient of the passion, drama, and excitement that is the hallmark of the William Hill Premiership. We are pleased that Rangers and Celtic are committed to achieving the return of away supporters to their derby matches as soon as possible."
Celtic and Rangers can be tense rivals at times, and it's assumed that one would blame the other for reneging on the initial agreement, and this is exactly what has happened. However, Rodgers lays the blame firmly at the Rangers' door.
🔊 LISTEN: “Nothing of this was Celtic’s issue. Nothing. Celtic gets dragged into this as being a Celtic/Rangers thing. It’s not. This is a Rangers thing”.
🍀 Brendan Rodgers says the lack of away fans at games against Rangers is completely the fault of their rivals ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/0eLkyk1FDF— Clyde 1 Superscoreboard (@ClydeSSB) August 16, 2024
"The club's job is to protect the support, and if there's not that guarantee come the second fixture, then I think it's only logical that you wouldn’t reciprocate. Celtic have played their part.
"Nothing in this is Celtic's issue. Nothing. When you go back to when this all started, it's nothing to do with Celtic. Celtic gets dragged into this here as a Celtic-Rangers thing. This is not a Celtic-Rangers thing. This is a Rangers thing."
Rodgers also believes it wouldn’t be in good faith if Rangers got their away fans into Celtic Park in September and Celtic didn’t get theirs for the January fixture at Ibrox. The Antrim native believes it wouldn’t be in good faith to allow one club to get their way and the other not.
"Celtic, when they're asked to have this agreement and make this stadium safe, we plough money into that; we do the work; we started months ago. From both parties, it hasn’t been agreed upon, so it is not complicated; it hasn’t been done. Good faith, whatever way you want to put it, it’s still an agreement for both, so it’s not done," he said.
"It’s not great faith if we allow Rangers supporters in and we get to January and our own supporters can’t get in. It’s not good faith. So the agreement hasn’t been upheld, and Celtic rightly have to defend their supporters and their club. Sadly, Rangers supporters miss out on this game, and Celtic supporters miss out on the return game.
"Let’s hope that after that, we can find a way to get the supporters in."
Celtic play Motherwell on Sunday.
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