Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Edinburgh clubs rage as Old Firm are given more tickets for semis
HEARTS and Hibs have both expressed frustration at seeing their Betfred Cup semi-final t i cket allocations cut.
Rangers and Celtic were handed extra tickets for the Hampden games on November 2-3 after a number of tickets for the Edinburgh clubs’ fans remained unsold.
Hearts had previously announced they received an initial quota of 17,000 for their Sunday encounter with Rangers, while Hibs had said their tickets were on general sale last Friday.
Hibs announced the Scottish Professional Football League had taken a “unilateral decision” to reduce their share, claiming the action was contrary to their stated desire to retain a section allowing children and pensioners to buy concession tickets.
Chief executive Leeann Dempster said: “Whilst the club accepts the need to ensure the best possible attendance at showpiece games, it is our view that it would have been reasonable and practicable for the SPFL to accede to our request to retain a higher number of less expensive tickets. The response has been disappointing and frustrating.
“I t ’s my v i e w that segregation would not have been an issue for the area we requested, and as it i s the decision taken means the vast majority of Hibs fans now wishing to go to the game will have to pay the higher price ticket regardless of their age or status.”
Hearts declared they had been in regular dialogue with the SPFL for two weeks i n a bid to prevent a reduction being “imposed prematurely”.
A club statement added: “While we have had some success in postponing the decision and limiting the reduction in our allocation, we share the frustration expressed by Hibernian.”