Rangers Review have reported why Ibrox chiefs agreed to hand Celtic a bumper away allocation for the Scottish Cup quarter-final. From their side, it was about control and avoiding a fight they might not win.
Those rules allow the away club to push for a larger percentage of the stadium at around 20%. Rangers were aware of that. Rather than risk a formal process at Hampden, they moved to settle.
The key detail is this: they did not want to give up thousands more seats. That tells you the original expectation may have been higher. With the tie just over two weeks away, there was little appetite for drawn-out talks.
Planning, ticketing and security for a derby of this size takes time. Any late ruling forcing a bigger allocation would have hit their own season ticket holders, particularly in the Broomloan Stand.
For Celtic, the focus is the backing inside the ground. A strong away end changes the feel of a cup tie. It gives the players a lift in tough spells, especially if the game tightens up in the final half hour.
Derby matches at Ibrox are rarely open. They are often decided by one goal, one set piece, one mistake.
The section usually set aside for away fans will still be largely home colours, but Celtic will take a sizeable support across the city. Rangers are now reportedly working through arrangements for around 6,000 affected season ticket holders, with CCCS members given priority.
From a Celtic point of view, the job is simple. Take the allocation on offer and make it count when the whistle goes.
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