Celtic twist on the safety card as they fire back at angry Ibrox statement

After two visits to Ibrox without having any supporters in the stadium Celtic have finally spoken out about the safety issues behind that decision.

With the away allocation for the Derby fixture reduced from 7,000 in 2018 to around 700 there has been increasing concerns raised by Celtic fans.

With no natural break in the stadium lay-out Celtic fans have been surrounded on all sides with only a few columns of empty seats and stewards keeping supporters apart.

In contrast, at Celtic Park away fans only have home fans to their right with a wall and passageway in place between the Lisbon Lions Stand and the Main Stand, an area the houses the Police HQ.

This afternoon Celtic stated:

Given the recent serious safety and matchday issues which our fans have experienced at fixtures at Ibrox and Celtic Park, Celtic’s position on this matter has been very clear.

Celtic welcomes the opportunity to seek to resolve these important issues, and it was a hearing for which the Club was very well-prepared.

We are pleased that the sub-committee recognised the importance of safety and matchday experience issues in considering the question of a reasonable allocation for both fixtures.  

While respecting the ongoing process, Celtic stands by its decision not to allocate any tickets for away supporters for the match on December 30th.

Celtic will continue to focus on the importance of safety and matchday experience issues as we look to address reasonable allocations at Celtic Park and Ibrox from next year, in a responsible manner.

Earlier today the Ibrox club had described the decision to have no away fans present as grossly unfair.

After recent results that have saw Celtic stumble to pick up just seven points from their last five SPFL games.

With 100% of the crowd on their side the pressure is all on Brendan Rodgers’ side to finish 2023 with a significant Derby win.

Three of the next four SPFL Glasgow Derbies will be hosted by Celtic.