Noisier the better – for both teams
be at the Premiership summit. He said: “Our away form’s been excellent. I don’t know the reasons why but we are very pleased with it.
“If I knew why our form was so good away from home then we’d be sitting at the top of the league. BY GORDON PARKS DEREK McINNES has urged Rangers supporters to crank up the volume and help Aberdeen book a Scottish Cup semi-final spot against Celtic.
The Dons boss wants the sparks to fly to compensate for having only 972 of their own fans inside Ibrox tonight for the quarter-final replay.
Steven Gerrard has called on the Light Blue legions to “take the roof off Ibrox” and that’s a view shared by McInnes as he believes the noisier the better.
He said: “A charged atmosphere is what we all want. Everybody wants to see a proper atmosphere and that brings a demand and a charge. As long as it doesn’t boil over.
“It’s two sets of players who have a responsibility of trying to get a club into the semi-finals.
“We normally take between 2500 and 4000 to away games which generates a cup-tie atmosphere. That has a big bearing on our away form.
‘Why should thousands of fans be denied the chance to see their team due to the thuggery of a few idiots?’
“We feel that swell of numbers in the ground and it certainly helps my players.
“We maybe don’t get the same at Pittodrie and I know previous managers have felt the same.
“Tonight the Rangers fans will be well up for it. We want to see full houses and see that type of environment. There’s a semi-final at stake so there’s no real motivation needed for tonight.”
McInnes – who had been linked with West Brown after the sacking of Darren Moore but is understood not to be in the frame to become the new Baggies boss – added: “The tie is tough for both teams. As soon as it was made it was going to be a difficult task to get through.
“We felt we did enough to win the game at Pittodrie. There’s a train of thought we’ve missed our chance now it’s down in Glasgow and I can understand that – but nobody at our club thinks that.
“I’d liked to have more Aberdeen fans there but we know who we represent. There will be plenty listening in hoping we get the right result. We know what’s at stake.” should be off the table as a means of dealing with bad behaviour from fans, including shutting down sections or whole stadiums. True supporters have a part to play and self-policing by fans needs to happen.”
said: “Scottish football has been dragged back into the gutter due to loutish behaviour. Singing songs and going for bragging rights hurts no one but fans attacking players is out of order and it’s only a matter of time before someone gets knifed. One solution is to abandon the game immediately and replay it behind closed doors.”
said: “SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster broke his vow of silence on Sunday to condemn the hooligan behaviour at Easter Road last Friday – why has it taken so long for him to respond? The man has been in his job far too long and we need a change.”
said: “Hibs should be hammered for what happened during their games against Celtic and Rangers. This shouldn’t just be something which gets lip service and nothing gets done. The SFA need to go to war on hooligan behaviour and make a real example of Hibs.”
said: “Hibs should have one of their stands shut down for a period of time but it won’t happen.
“Leeann Dempster talks a good game but her boss at Easter Road is Rod Petrie who is vice-president at the SFA so we shouldn’t hold our breath on any severe sanctions being put in place.”
said: “Aberdeen was the first time Celtic dropped points at home this season and Neil Lennon came out with an excuse that his players were psychologically fatigued.
“The lack of composure and calvary charge at the end was reminiscent of his previous spell at the club.” CALL THE HOTLINE TODAY FROM 11 TILL 12 NOON on: 0141 309 3306 or email us: hotline@dailyrecord.co.uk