Rangers could get more tickets from Premiership rivals in contrast to other clubs
Yesterday at 11:00 AM
Clubs seem to regularly flip flop on the away fan allocation Rangers are given.
Hearts were one of the first to cut the amount of tickets they handed over to Rangers and they have been followed by the likes of Hibs, St Mirren and Kilmarnock despite not having their Ibrox allocation changed.
Gers and Celtic used to be often given three stands at some away grounds, still are in some instances, due to the sheer volume of travelling supporters they take to games on top of the fact the clubs had the space to give.
And this gave them a handy chunk of cash in gate receipts every time Gers were in town. But some clubs opted to change tact and offer more tickets to their own fans.
St Johnstone to review Rangers allocation
St Johnstone last year gave Gers three stands for a Scottish Cup clash at McDiarmid Park and that resulted in some of their own fans boycotting the match.
They were infuriated about not being consulted before the decision was made.
The Perth Saints were always planning to review their position on the matter and CEO Fran Smith has now confirmed handing over three stands could be an option for future clashes against Philippe Clement’s side.
That could earn the club around £75,000 per game which could be hugely beneficial for a team of that size.
Smith said, as per Football Scotland: "Our current policy is our fans will be in the East Stand – and that will remain through to the end of the season. We've Rangers in a couple of weeks and Celtic again later in the season. Hopefully there will be another game against Rangers in the top six after that.
"We were always going to review this at the end of the season. We'll discuss it as a board and discuss it with fans' groups again. There are a few options. Economically, if we're not going to fill the East Stand, why wouldn't we think about maximising income? You're probably talking about being £75k better off for one game, which is a player.
"Of course, the rest of the board might not agree with me. That's the important thing. One option is giving St Johnstone fans the Geoff Brown Stand and the Ormond. We'd make £35k more doing it that way. There's the possibility of season tickets with and without Old Firm games.
"Economically, if we're not going to fill the East Stand, why wouldn't we think about maximising income? You're probably talking about being £75k better off for one game, which is a player.
"Of course, the rest of the board might not agree with me, that's the important thing. We'll discuss it as a board and discuss it with fans' groups again."
St Johnstone could move season tickets to accommodate Rangers
St Johnstone season ticket holders could even be moved to different areas of the stadium to accommodate such a move.
That could earn the club an extra £35k per game, but they are looking into all options.
"There are a few options," Smith added. “One of them is giving St Johnstone fans the Geoff Brown Stand and the Ormond. We'd make £35k more doing it that way.
"There's the possibility of season tickets with and without Old Firm games. I've got to think economically about the club.
"If people want a better product on the park, we need to bring income in. That could, potentially, include extra Old Firm income.
"It's always going to be a contentious one for the club but it's one we have to speak about again as a board and a club. And we need to involve the fans to make sure we make the right decision."
