Celtic chiefs hit back in tickets row

CELTIC have responded to Rangers managing director Stewart Robertson by insisting only they will determine away allocations for Old Firm games at Parkhead. Robertson this week stated that visiting fans would be back for the season’s remaining two derbies. He also said the allocations would be similar to recent seasons — pegged at around 800 — with no return to the much larger agreements of the past. Celtic, though, have hit back at Robertson by stressing a decision on whether Rangers fans attend the post-split Old Firm game — or how many do so — will be made by them and not their rivals. It’s believed the Parkhead club would be in favour of reverting to having around 7,000 supporters of each side admitted to away derbies. That agreement ended in 2018 when Rangers reduced Celtic’s allocation. A Celtic statement said: ‘Further to recent media reports regarding ticket allocations for away fans at Celtic Park, to clarify, Celtic determines the allocation for visiting teams at Celtic Park and will confirm the position for future matches at the appropriate time.’ Robertson had created the impression he was speaking on behalf of both clubs when he told Sky Sports: ‘There will be away allocations in the next two games. Because of the Covid situation we had back in August, the two clubs got together and agreed that actually we wouldn’t have away fans. Because we had red zones, we weren’t sure what the Covid situation was going to be for that period of time. So there will be away fans for the two games remaining. It will be the allocations we’ve had in the last couple of years.’