Martin O’Neill hopes the upcoming Scottish Cup derby at Ibrox could mark the beginning of a long-overdue reset in away allocations between Celtic and Rangers.
The collapse in numbers has been mad. What was once an allocation of around 7,500 away supporters has, over time, been reduced to roughly 900, and in some cases completely removed. Recent league derbies have seen visiting fans handed around five per cent of stadium capacity, a far cry from the packed ends that defined the fixture for decades.
That shift can be traced back to the fallout after Odsonne Edouard’s late winner at Ibrox in 2018, an incident widely viewed as the moment that Rangers got fed up with Celtic celebrating in their backyard.
Now, there is a chance, however slim, of movement. Under Scottish Cup rules, visiting clubs can request up to 20 per cent of a stadium’s capacity, and Celtic are expected to push for a significantly increased allocation when they travel to Rangers. While a full 20 per cent remains unlikely, the prospect of a full Broomloan Stand for Celtic supporters has re-entered the conversation.
Crucially, Police Scotland have indicated they will not stand in the way of a larger travelling support, stressing that any agreement is ultimately a matter for the two clubs to resolve between themselves.
For Martin O’Neill, that opens the door to something bigger than a single cup tie. Speaking ahead of Celtic’s match against Livingston, he made clear his hope that talks over this fixture could spark a wider return to old-style allocations.
“I think it would be lovely,” O’Neill said to Celtic TV. “I’ve talked to a lot of people down south in my time living down there, and they think exactly the same. It would be fantastic to get back to that.
“Still people who have not been to this particular fixture want to go and see it. But it would be fantastic if the full allocation was given back to both clubs.”
Whether that optimism translates into action remains to be seen. Scottish football rarely moves without friction, particularly when derbies are involved. But with both clubs under pressure from supporters and authorities stepping back, there is at least a window for change.
