Martin O’Neill and Alex McLeish in complete agreement on change needed to Celtic v Rangers
Martin O’Neill and Alex McLeish agree that it is time away supporters were allowed back in the ground for fixtures between Rangers and Celtic.
Celtic had no fans at Ibrox for their 1-0 victory on 3 September, while the same will be true for the Gers at Celtic Park on 30 December.
Rangers offered Celtic 708 tickets for the reverse fixture, but they were turned down due to concerns over fan safety [Sky Sports, 18 August].
Speaking on PLZ Soccer [18 December] ahead of the upcoming Old Firm showdown, O’Neill said: “Me and Alex feel the same about this… something’s lost about the fixture.”
McLeish added: “Honestly, I was at the first [Old Firm] of the season. When Celtic scored it was almost like you were in a time warp because it went really quiet. There’s no Celtic fans cheering, the Rangers fans are stunned.”
Find a solution
There is no doubt that the lack of away supporters in one of the most historic fixtures anywhere in world football is a massive negative.
While supporter safety has to come first, it is a shame the clubs cannot come to some sort of agreement.
As painful as it would have been to hear and see Celtic fans celebrate Kyogo Furuhashi’s goal at Ibrox, that is very much part of football.
There have been some great trips to Celtic Park down the years, but supporters will not get the chance to experience another one this month.
Putting aside his allegiances for now, O’Neill has a point when saying that “something is lost” in this fixture without away supporters.
With another tussle to come in the second half of the season, let’s just hope a resolution of some sort is found.
In other Rangers news, a Gers player who only signed a new contract last year is reportedly wanted by a club abroad.