Chris Sutton champions Rangers and Celtic 'common sense' over away allocations but demands another step

Common sense has finally broken out over Old Firm tickets. I just hope this is just the start on the road back to a return to full away allocations.

Getting around 2500 visiting supporters in to Ibrox and Celtic Park is a step in the right direction. It’s also long overdue. The decision to cut the away attendances was petty in the first place and no one can tell me it didn’t diminish the fixture. The reduced amount of 700 was a waste of time and there’s no doubt it made it a nightmare for those fans penned into tiny corners of the stadiums.

The total shut out was even worse. The Glasgow Derby is one of the biggest in world football and a lot of that is down to the atmosphere created in the grounds. The noise and passion is what makes it, and there has been something lacking with the away supporters locked out. It took away from the spectacle for the neutrals as well. Scottish football is trying to sell itself as a global product but armchair fans were being left short changed by getting the watered down version of the derby.

As far as the players on the pitch are concerned, it shouldn’t really matter if there are 70, 7000 or 7000 of your supporters in the ground. The stakes are always the same and there’s never any excuses. But it’s beyond that. It’s about the occasion and they experience for those watching in the UK and around the world.

At last they have seen a bit of sense and around 2500 is certainly better than nothing. It’s too late for this season and we’ll have no away supporters for the remaining two encounters. The only hope is the clubs see the difference next season and it persuades them to bring back the proper allocation and restore the fixture to former glory.

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