Rangers and Celtic reach agreement amid what 49ers Enterprises know
Rangers and Celtic have come to an agreement ahead of the 49ers Enterprises takeover being completed.
The negotiations led by Leeds United chief Paarag Marathe are expected to be completed in the summer and Gers supporters hope that the deal will put them on a level footing with their Glasgow rivals.
Derbies between the two have often been hostile with away fans being banned for the clashes since 2023 with the clubs unable to agree on allocations.
However, a new development could benefit both parties and most of all, both sets of supporters.
Rangers and Celtic reach supporter deal
The Old Firm rivals have agreed on a 4 per cent allocation for away supporters for the final two derbies of the season.
The agreement means that Gers supporters can attend the Celtic Park clash on 16 March and the arrangement will be repeated when the Bhoys travel to Ibrox after the league split.
Gary Keown believes it is a “step in the right direction” and praised the move in a column for Scottish Mail on Sunday (page 99, 2 March).
He said: “It’s a good start and let’s hope it can somehow pave the way for the numbers of travelling supporters for these matches to return to the days of old.
“The fixture has been diluted and demeaned in recent years thanks to the stand-off over letting away punters through the door. No matter who was to blame for past problems, it is unthinkable that the derby can go back to staging lock-outs.
“Rangers’ prospective new American owners must know this. The game is less of a spectacle without away fans, less of a draw.”
Old Firm still firmly in favour of Celtic
The new agreement is a welcome development off the pitch but on it, the Gers still have a long way to go to catch their Glasgow rivals.
The dismal Philippe Clement era has come to an end but the Light Blues problems refuse to go away, with a 2-1 loss to Motherwell giving Barry Ferguson a first defeat in his Ibrox bow.
| Scottish Premiership | Played | GD | Points |
| 1. Celtic | 29 | +70 | 75 |
| 2. Rangers | 29 | +33 | 59 |
The 49ers will not solve all of Rangers’ issues, it may stem the in-fighting from the board but poor performances on the pitch will persist until the club finds the right man to take them forward and sort out their long-term recruitment.
Whether that man is Ferguson remains to be seen and it is not fair to judge him given the mess that he has been forced to step into.
The Auchenhowie side can make amends for a terrible campaign by going on a deep Europa League run but whether they can the capabilities to do so, remains to be seen and no matter what, Brendan Rodgers’ team will have the bragging rights on home soil for another season.