Celtic Women star Caitlin Hayes destroys Rangers Women for damaging Old Firm derby decision
Celtic Women’s defender Caitlin Hayes has slammed Rangers Women for their decision to cancel Hoops’ supporters tickets for their Old Firm clash.
The two Glasgow rivals played out a 1-1 draw in front of an Ibrox crowd on Sunday (18 February), but no away fans were in attendance after groups of “risk” supporters were understood to be planning to attend the fixture.
Instead, only home fans were allowed to make the trip to Ibrox on Sunday, a decision which Hoops defender Hayes has slammed, suggesting that the Light Blues have “let down” Scottish women’s football.
Writing on her personal X account on Sunday (18 February) she posted: “Football without fans is nothing. Today women’s football in Scotland was let down. In a weekend where the Emirates was sold out and the growth of the game took an applause, the same could not be said 401 miles away.
“You simply can’t advertise a fixture based upon the opportunity to see representation on a stage, with the false intent to grow the game, when the same opportunity isn’t there for the opposition.
“Take colours away and you’re denying opportunity for young girls, in particular, to see what they can be, if they dream that dream. That dream isn’t exclusive to the colours you wear but inclusive to all, just like the foundations women’s football was built upon.
“Whatever the circumstances may be; don’t host if you can’t accommodate, plan and fund, accordingly. It’s the reputation of the game that gets damaged. A reputation we are ALL collectively building.”
Have Rangers Women let down Celtic and women’s football?
Rangers Women quite clearly made the call to stop Celtic fans from attending Sunday’s fixture as a matter of safety, rather than viewing it as an opportunity to stop away supporters from getting inside the ground.
Jo Potter’s side have gone to great lengths to help build the women’s game in Scotland this season and they would have certainly liked to have had fans from both sides inside Ibrox for the most recent draw.
Hopefully, the decision taken for Sunday’s clash at Ibrox won’t have to be made again. There is an argument that the Gers could have been better prepared, but they did not deliberately try to harm the reputation of women’s football as has been suggested.
In other Rangers news, one BBC Sport pundit has mooted new behind-the-scenes talks involving Clement at Ibrox
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