Martin O’Neill says the decision to shut away supporters out of Celtic and Rangers fixtures for the rest of the season felt “inevitable” after the Ibrox side offered Celtic just 300 tickets for the upcoming Premier Sports Cup tie.
The decision comes after Celtic refused to accept a reduced allocation for the trip to Ibrox, with the club having previously agreed to a 5% away allocation model for matches between the sides.
Speaking at his Friday press conference ahead of Celtic’s trip to St Mirren, O’Neill gave a blunt assessment of how the situation had reached this point.
He said: (TCW), “I think that was inevitable, really, after Rangers were offering 300 tickets, and I think we refused that.”
The Celtic manager added: “And I think it was just inevitable that that’s the decision that the powers that be would make, eventually, or make for them.”
O’Neill has made clear in recent weeks that he wants away supporters at these fixtures, but Celtic were never likely to accept such a small allocation after the 5% agreement had been in place.
Asked if the situation was avoidable, O’Neill said: “If that was the case, then I think there was an inevitability that we would just say, well, what’s the point of having 300 tickets?”
O’Neill did not hide his disappointment at the outcome.
“Really sad, I must admit, from a normal punter’s viewpoint.”
It leaves Celtic and Rangers matches without travelling supporters again, despite earlier hopes that the 5% model would bring a proper away presence back to both grounds this season.
For Celtic, the immediate focus now returns to St Mirren tomorrow night, but the derby allocation row is unlikely to disappear quickly. The SPFL has described the current position as temporary, with the matter still subject to review if circumstances change during the season.
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