Celtic are set to pursue a significant ticket allocation for next month’s Old Firm Scottish Cup tie at Ibrox, with the club understood to be targeting at least the full Broomloan Stand.
The Glasgow rivals were paired together in Sunday’s draw, setting up two derby meetings in Govan within the space of a week at the beginning of March.
Under Scottish Cup regulations, away sides can request up to 20 percent of a stadium’s capacity — a figure that would hand Celtic more than 10,000 tickets.
Even if that maximum is not granted, the situation could still see the Hoops return to filling the 7,000-seat Broomloan Stand for the first time since 2018. However, there is no certainty they will receive the full allocation, as any proposal must satisfy safety and security requirements, with Police Scotland required to approve arrangements.
Recent precedent shows such requests are not straightforward. Aberdeen previously turned down Rangers’ bid for 4,000 tickets at Pittodrie on safety grounds. Meanwhile, Celtic allocated Hibs around 7,000 tickets for last season’s quarter-final at Parkhead — roughly half of the 20 percent allowance.
Celtic’s own away allocation at Ibrox was cut from about 7,500 to just 750 eight years ago, sparking a prolonged dispute that led to years of reduced or eliminated away supports in the fixture. Rangers are now considering their position as they await a formal approach from their city rivals.
Once Celtic submit their request, both clubs are expected to discuss the matter at an upcoming pre-operations meeting, which will also include police input. If an agreement cannot be reached, Rangers could cite safety concerns as grounds for limiting numbers, and the Scottish FA has the authority to intervene if needed.
Earlier this season, the clubs agreed to increase travelling supports to around 2,000 fans each, alongside enhanced safety measures such as netting, following several flashpoints.
The sides are also scheduled to meet at Ibrox in the league the weekend before the cup encounter, with Celtic due to receive around 2,000 tickets under last season’s agreement that ended the away-end lockouts. Those arrangements may also factor into police recommendations for the cup quarter-final.
Rangers secured their place in the last eight with an 8-0 win over Queen’s Park, while Celtic advanced after a 2-1 extra-time victory against Dundee at Celtic Park.
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