Aberdeen seek 50-50 Rangers ticket split for Viaplay Cup Final as Dons primed for pivotal SPFL meeting

Aberdeen are set to ask the SPFL for the chance to sell half of Hampden for their first cup final against Rangers in 23 years.

The Dons secured their place in the showpiece with victory over Hibs on Saturday night with the Light Blues joining them after beating Hearts 24 hours later. Representatives of both clubs are set to meet with the SPFL to discuss the distribution of tickets for the clash on December 17 and Record Sport understands Pittodrie chiefs want a 50/50 split.

It’s the first time the two clubs will have met in a final since the 2000 Scottish Cup and a ticket row erupted back then when the Ibrox side were handed 7000 more briefs and Aberdeen chief executive Gordon Bennett launched a scathing attack on the SFA. It was argued the split handed the Ibrox club an unfair advantage for a game they went on to win 4-0 and the Dons are desperate to avoid their fans being outnumbered again.

With the game already taking place in the city of their final opponents, the Dons don’t want to be at a further disadvantage in their bid to get their hands on the silverware. Aberdeen took around 40,000 to Celtic Park when they last lifted the League Cup in 2014 after a penalty shoot-out win over Inverness and are confident there will be huge demand for next month’s final.

However, while Aberdeen want a 50/50 split, it’s understood the Dons hierarchy will ask for the allocation to be split in such a way that if they are unable to sell out a 20,000 allocation that any remaining tickets could be handed back to ensure that Hampden Park is sold out for the occasion.

Hearts slammed the SPFL’s decision not to give them half of Hampden of Sunday’s semi-final. They were handed an initial allocation of 18,000 and said: “The club would