“The Away Club shall have the right to claim admission for its supporters of up to 20% of the spectator capacity of the Registered Ground at which the Match is to be played.” That, with a small caveat for the Safety at Sports Ground Act, 1975, is the simple rule which governs away ticket allocation at Scottish Cup matches.
It is uncontroversial and has stood the test of time for decades. At Celtic Park, which is the largest ground in the country, it means we are obliged to offer more tickets to away fans than anyone else. Fair enough.
Offering token ticket numbers for Premiership games breaches the time tested safe routes to and from grounds. At Ibrox, for example, 700 Celtic fans were expected to park alongside Newco fans, then walk through them to the top of Broomloan Road – the designated car parking area for Celtic fans was not sufficient to accommodate even a third of that number.
When I was there for such an occasion, we were fortunate that most of the other lot made an early exit from the game, other outcomes are possible. While inside the stadium, glass bottles rained down from the stands towering above Celtic fans.
Where was the Safety at Sports Ground Act, 1975, when this arrangement got the green light, you are entitled to wonder? The same scenario will hold at other grounds if a few hundred away fans are isolated among hostile opposition supporters.
You either make football safe, which Scottish Cup games are and having no away fans are, or you accept there will be actual harm to visiting fans.
Newco are boxed into a corner. They designated part of the stadium for their ultras group where Celtic fans were traditionally accommodated. This meant the ultras had to move for Celtic fans, which they really didn’t like and complained about for years.
With weak leadership, Newco relented, cut Celtic’s allocation and forever damaged the sport. Unwinding this would mean moving their ultras, which is no more possible than Celtic moving 8,000 fans in the Jock Stein Stand, many of whom have been there for 20 years, to relocate their ultras.
When I got home from Ibrox after our win in April last year, I was disturbed that the police were asleep at the wheel in permitting such a dangerous scenario. Event organisers are not the arbiters of what is and is not safe. Newco, Police Scotland and Glasgow City Council have all looked the other way while Celtic acted on what was hard evidence of risk to life and limb.
This is why we have a board of professionals, not weak grifters.
165 Comments- Pages:
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Is this as good as it gets?
Well? 😃👍
Well done Melvin……
BIG WAVY on 28TH JULY 2023 12:03 PM
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Cheers. 😃👍
Now to read the article. 😂👍
Must get back into podium routine.
Paul 67,
The huns can do what they want @ Greyskull. That is their perogative.
However we don’t need to play ball with them.
At our own ground we are in control. Ultimately we have responsibility and a duty of care to all attending. Subsequently we give the huns zero tickets, ziltch, nothing.
Put simply it’s not safe to do so. And argue the toss on that basis.
Big WAVY from previous blog.
I totally get your rationale about shipping goals in Europe. However Angeball depended on scoring goals, we failed . We could and should have scored more goals considering the amount of chances we produced. If we had the outcome would have been very different.
HH.
Good afternoon all from the Shipbank. A fine day in old Glasgow Town. 👍🍻
The game here is turning into more of a joke every year. Look at the nick of Hibs yesterday ffs! 😳🤷🏼♂️ Also, with empty stadiums on telly for some of the live games, only a matter of time before the TV deals dry up and the game will need to find alternate funding.
The people running Scottish football are absolutely useless! The gap between us and the big leagues is getting wider and the gap between us and the smaller leagues is getting smaller.
What will it take for those running the game to see things really need to change dramatically and quickly?
Off subject, but a true , very funny story about Jimmy Shand. This IS true, honest.
He was up in Aberdeenshire playing a few venues and stopped overnight in a small hotel.
In the morning he went to breakfast and ordered bacon and eggs,.
He was mortified when the plate came, with just one tiny piece of bacon and a minute fried egg. Really no more than a mouthful. He ate it and ordered toast , one slice came with a very small pot of honey. The bold Jimmy says, ” Ah, I see you keep a bee”
True
KINGLuBO
We need to maintain the stance that using that corner is not safe we have sufficient evidence to prove it, which can’t be said for a counter claim by the hun.
James Forrest the blogger pointed out that we never banned the huns from CP, they didn’t pick up their allocation last time.
IMHO our biggest problem in Europe was the lack of a proper dedicated,def mid in front of the defence, CalMac is fine for Scotland, but, sorry to say, again IMO, not good enough for Europe, the last one we had was big Vic, approx ten years back, fix this and we will do way better in Europe, IMO.
TET,
Hopefully our new Hyun can plug this gap.I agree with you.Calmac is great,but not a great tackler or defender.Middle or middle to front brilliant.
GP / TET,
More pragmatism is needed in Europe than Angeball could deliver. I had the dread this season under him.
More quality needed across the park (not just GT for those of a nervous disposition).
More work on the midfield 3 required. Left us too open, gave the ball away too much, don’t score enough goals. More quality needed.
Today’s word is ‘Quality’. We have a budget to move up a level. I hope we use it.
HH
BIG WAVY.re the last article
Your last post.No amount of bluster on your part will cover up your always held opinion of Taylor.You dont fancy him as a player,never have,and obviously,never will.
My comments on Forrest,nothing to do with you,but you roped them in,looking for the sympathy vote.
I have no problem with your opinion of Taylor.Its when you put those opinions on here,then I will defend him and put my opinions on.
HH.
Big Wavy @ 12.28
Just can’t help yoursef,can you ?.
TB,
I think you’re mistaking me for someone who gives a toss for your constantly angry missives.
Scroll by. That’s what I do.
HH
Celtic can win this argument about inside and outside the stadium today.
Point to incidents re the physio, Joe Hart goalmouth, the bottles raining down etc and demand nets put up in all parts of the ground for safety.
It happens abroad.
Outside the ground we congregate a distance away and walk to the ground with a heavy police presence.
Union bears had this going to Celtic Park a while back.
All the above is pretty basic and the requests are unarguable going by previous incidents.
TURKEYBHOY on 28TH JULY 2023 12:39 PM
BIG WAVY.re the last article
Your last post.No amount of bluster on your part will cover up your always held opinion of Taylor.You dont fancy him as a player,never have,and obviously,never will.
My comments on Forrest,nothing to do with you,but you roped them in,looking for the sympathy vote.
I have no problem with your opinion of Taylor.Its when you put those opinions on here,then I will defend him and put my opinions on.
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Turkeybhoy
Do you think Taylor has the physique, stamina, pace and strength to play champions league?
So,in spite of bringing in two midfielders, who no one has seen yet,and who are rated one,as the best midfield player in Norway,the other, a holding midfielder,with a great future forecast in the game for him,by people who have actually seen him play,to add to Calmac,Hatate,O Riley,who the support have been drooling over,and we could sell for big money tomorrow,we still need,according to certain transfer gurus,another 3 class players for the middle.
Abada,Kyogo,new Korean winger,again,no one has
watched,not good enough for Europe.
Do people ever read back ,or think about the fantasies they write.
Chairboy
As someone who actually goes to most of our games I would say vs this time last year :
Iwata (Japan POTY) now he has settled in is potentially an upgrade on Mooy
We don’t know if either the Aussie or Korean winger is an upgrade on Jota but there is every chance based on pre Celtic performance. Remember Jota was only 9 pro games pre Celtic.
Johnston is a defensive upgrade v JJ
Oh will be and upgrade v an unhappy malcontent GG
The centre half from Poland is an upgrade v on loan Jenz
The new Korean holding player is a bonus
The new Norwegian kid is another bonus
We need to sign a goalkeeper, clear some deadwood and maybe a left back and we really can talk of competing on all fronts. Providing we get a decent draw.
You can chose a half empty glass and Timbhoy can spout rubbish about the bogeyman PL who lives in folks heads. We are already in good shape.
As long as the bowling club are running scottish football it will always be years behind.
Staunch old fashioned fools stifling the game and the nation, scared to lose the little power they have at all levels of scottish society.
Dyingbreedhopefully.csc
KLV
MELVIN UDALL on 28TH JULY 2023 12:13 PM
Agree with what you are saying. That is why European football is so vital for us.
Our brand is still high, but we must make a real go of Europe. Imo , it must be our number 1 priority.
Have a gander at Steve Clark’s Scotland team nowadays. Not many from the SPL feature, even the second tier of Engurlund feature more.
BR is still hungry and ambitious. Games at Livingston and Kilmarnock will not satisfy that ambition, but Europe will.
It also keeps players l8ke Liel Abada for longer.
HH.
PAMELA
What a fright you gave me!
Lovely post about your Dad and very brave of you too!
He will be sadly missed indeed!
Take care and God bless you and your family.
Rest in peace Ronnie.
Cal Mac not good enough for europe, dearie me.
Watched the England v Denmark Ladies game. Good game played to a full house.
Technique is Technique. Lauren James’s goal was a peach and would grace the men’s game at the highest level.
Their training academies are working.
HH.
Cal Mac plays more time for Steve Clark for a reason.
For anybody who wants to take a serious look at what our percieved midfield problem (v. Europe), then Alan, of this parish from time to time, put a great blog together last month, with some decent data on comparisons over the last few years.
Put alongside the eye test, our current trio are not reaching the levels of predecessors (my sweet prince Ntcham before he lost interest) in the last few years and flags regression in Callum’s play. Will Reo improve? – hell yes, but as it stands, we have an unbalanced bunch in there (for Europe).
https://celticbynumberscom.ipage.com/midfield/
HH
Lambert 14,
Yes to the Stamina.Long time since I have watched anyone with more
Yes to the strength.Holds own very well.You have watched hin Hun games?
Pace,not the quickest,but is a very clever player,so maybe one for one.
Physique,I take you mean height because physiquewise with shirt off,as we have seen,looks like a flyweight boxer.Only on these pages does it become a pre- requisite to be tall,to be a full back.Jeremy Frimpong ,being sought after for 40,50 million by top teams,smallest full back,I, have seen.Very quick,but not a great defender.
We would be very fortunate to land someone better with our budget.We have had a list of a lot more expensive duds at LB.I will stick.
L
I mentioned a few examples earlier.Did not stop Izzy from being a LB.
Lambert 14
Next time you go to Celtic Park look at Taylor’s work rate and effectiveness.
BIGRAILROADBLUES on 28TH JULY 2023 12:12 PM
Good afternoon all from the Shipbank. A fine day in old Glasgow Town. 👍🍻
Frank & Elaine still in charge? Was a neighbour a few years ago. Well-run pub and lovely people.
Greg Taylor is very very comfortable playing inside among a packed midfield, which comes from him playing midfield in his early days at Kilmarnock and prior to joining them. I don’t think the problem is with him defending, I think we’ve lacked an understanding in our CBs and midfield players to be aware that they will have to offer cover when he goes there. I’m pretty sure Brendan will suss this and plan accordingly. With set pieces or balls played diagonally to his area, I don’t know the stats as to how many times he gets caught out or stops the cross coming in, but I’ll hazard a guess it isn’t that bad, otherwise, he wouldn’t be keeping his place in the team! por cierto
KINGLUBO on 28TH JULY 2023 12:13 PM
“i see you keep a bee” is a Chic Murray line
Turkeybhoy and Burnley 78
Taylor has been a really good signing and ideal for domestic football but to do well in Europe we need an Alistair Johnston type at left back.
There is plenty of money available to bring in better.
Van Veen showed that Taylor struggles against pace and someone running at him.
Ask yourselves, if you were the opposition manger looking at Celtic’s full strength back 4, who would you target?
Paul67 et al
Let me get this straight, the reason RIFC changed our (previously agreed) ticket arrangements is down to the Ayebrokes Ultras?
And here was me thinking it was a result of actions taken by Dave King, and was all about the money money money.
I’m guessing revisionism is er back in vogue. No?
TURKEYBHOY
Please don’t bother reminding me .
The green-tinted glasses means that we are looking at our players through the comfort of the mediocrity of Scotland.
Not sure many got the memo that we’ve signalled a shift that we need to prioritise Europe (and of course that upgrade will flow through domestically).
That is a brutal upgrade. Last year showed us that. Our domestic system couldn’t handle the upgrade. Look back to the ‘backs against the wall’ performances against Liepzig as an example. Thanks to VAR we could easily have lost that away game by 5 or 6.
And here’s the thing. We need to be spotting the big, strapping, technically-gifted players we are up against earlier than previously. That’s modern football. It’s why we pine after Wanyama as he was an outlier in that template.
Up against Taylor in both games (and gave him a torrid time) was a guy that was bought, as a 19 year old, for 500k. All the attributes of the modern footballer. 6ft 1in up against 5ft 7in GT. From unfashionable Hungary, he is now gone for €70m to the EPL.
We’ve started that process finally, this summer. The European template for a good player has moved on from what we see as good in our own wee backwater where our chllenge is about consistency and fighting complacency.
Are we Euro-ready yet? Are we eff? Time to get Celtic. More quality please.
HH
Moderator and/or Paul67, the link to the chat with the Seville cyclists isn’t working and Kenny McKeown’s name is misspelled.
Height is over rated in a footballer.
and lack of height doesnt mean it is a weakness.