Ray Parlour tells Alan Brazil his Rangers and Celtic wish live on talkSPORT after seeing Newcastle United footage
Ray Parlour has revealed live on air that he would love to see 5,000 away fans back in the matches between Rangers and Celtic.
Speaking on talkSPORT on Friday (12 January, 08:40am), host Alan Brazil mentioned how Ally McCoist had told him the atmosphere at the Sunderland and Newcastle United game in the FA Cup on 6 January was “one of the best he’s witnessed in years”.
Pundit Parlour said he saw footage of the match between the two English rivals, adding that it showed why he’d welcome a return to the away allocations for the Old Firm fixtures as it “makes the game”.
“Ally told me on Wednesday that the atmosphere between Sunderland and Newcastle was one of the best he’s witnessed in years and years,” said Brazil.
“I can imagine that and Ally played at Sunderland didn’t he for a while,” added Parlour. “I saw the footage of it, lots of hatred between the clubs and it doesn’t come around every year, does it? That’s why they really stepped it up.
“Again, Al, away fans make it. That’s why Rangers and Celtic, I’d love to see 5,000 Rangers fans at Celtic and vice versa. It makes the game.”
Make it happen
This has been such a contentious issue for some time now and it doesn’t look like a resolution is going to realistically be found any time soon.
You often hear fans, pundits and other stakeholders talk about their frustrations at there being no away fans at the Old Firm games and how it takes away from the atmosphere.
It’s really gone too far now and it’s about time that the two clubs put their ill-feeling towards each other to one side and put the fans first because that’s who this should really be about.
The games where thousands of away fans were crowded behind one of the goals at the other team’s stadium were absolutely electric and it’s about time we had that back.
There is a danger that the longer this issue goes on, the more it could take away some of the appeal of this historic fixture and that’s the last thing anyone really wants.
In other Rangers news, an overseas journalist has made a “serious” admission about an exit-linked Gers player.