Sky Sports are stuck in the middle of the ongoing ticket row between Rangers and Celtic, and would love to have away fans in attendance after signing their £150million TV deal with the SPFL, according to the Scottish Daily Mail.
In the print edition of the newspaper [20 December, page 70], Mark Wilson wrote that Sky view the Old Firm derby as the jewel in the crown of their SPFL investment, and away fans are a huge part of what makes it entertaining.
This comes amid an ongoing dispute about away tickets, with confirmation that no Rangers fans will be allowed to attend the clash on 30 December – a fourth successive derby without away supporters.
Writing in his column on 20 December, Wilson shared: “Confirmation no Rangers fans will be at Celtic Park on December 30 means a fourth successive Premiership derby without away supporters.
“Inevitably, it led to statements from both clubs making their respective points. In truth, though, this has been a long-running dispute without any winners.
“Sky Sports are among those caught in the middle. The broadcaster would absolutely love to have away fans present to make the maximum spectacle of the eyeball-capturing jewels in their £150million five-year deal with the SPFL.”
Clubs need to put their egos aside
Ultimately the ongoing dispute around away tickets for Old Firm derbies has come down to a staring contest between Rangers and Celtic, and all it would take would be one club to blink for things to fall into place. However, neither are willing to.
It has become a case of pride. Not wanting to budge and concede their view to that of their bitter rivals, which in turn has had negative effects all-round, not least for the fans of both clubs who play such a huge part in the spectacle of this particular derby more than any other.
Rangers insist on offering small allocations to away fans, to which Celtic say they would rather have nobody attend. Rangers refuse to budge on their demands, so Celtic continue to restrict tickets entirely, and so the debate rages on.
The sooner both sets of fans are given their full allocation, as seen with European visitors, the better for everybody involved. It benefits the fans, the clubs, and everybody watching to have this game as the showpiece it should be.
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