Andrew McKinlay explains Hearts away ticket cut call as he reveals 7000 strong season ticket waiting list

Andrew McKinlay has explained Hearts' decision to slash away ticket allocations for all of their Premiership rivals except Hibs.

Record Sport exclusively revealed earlier this month that the Jambos would be making just 650 briefs available for league matches at Tynecastle, with only Hibs being allocated the entire Roseburn Stand for Edinburgh derbies. The rest will receive just one section, as Aberdeen were towards the end of last season, leaving Celtic and Rangers fans in particular facing a ticket scramble when they visit the Gorgie.

But McKinlay has revealed that Hearts have 7000 of their own punters on a waiting list for season tickets, and making more seats available for walk ups allows more of their own fans inside the ground on match days. And it was a desire to look after their own first that prompted the call to limit travelling supports to the west side of the capital.

“We’re very much focussed on, as you would expect, our own fans and we’re in a really great position thanks to those fans that we have 15,500 season ticket holders,” McKinlay told Sky Sports. “And we actually have a waiting list now of close to 7000. So huge demand from our fans means that we already have a large number of season ticket holders in the Roseburn Stand, the traditional away section of the ground. Those season tickets apply for every game other than Hibernian.

"We have taken the decision that all teams other than Hibs will get one section at the end of the stand and we’ve come to an agreement with Hibs, which is great, to keep the derby as it should be. Hibs will get the whole end and I think that’s a really important thing for our fans, Edinburgh and for football.”

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