SPFL Club Set to Discuss Expanding Celtic’s Away Ticket Allocation

St Johnstone plans to review Celtic’s ticket allocation at McDiarmid Park for the next season, potentially offering more seats to visiting supporters.

Currently, Celtic fans are allocated both goal-end stands and a small section of the Geoff Brown Stand. Meanwhile, the East Stand, reserved for home supporters and visible on TV broadcasts, often appears sparsely populated with more empty seats than fans.

When Celtic visited St Johnstone in late September, the attendance was recorded at 7,036, with Celtic’s away section packed to capacity.

While SPFL clubs have been reducing away ticket allocations—Celtic will receive fewer than 600 tickets for Tynecastle this Saturday—there appears to be some hope for increased allocations in future visits to McDiarmid Park.

Speaking to The Sun, St Johnstone CEO Fran Smith addressed the situation:

“We’ve got Rangers coming in a few weeks and Celtic later in the season, possibly another Rangers game if we make the top six. Economically, if the East Stand isn’t full, why wouldn’t we look at maximising income?

One game could bring in £75,000 more—that’s the cost of a player. But the decision is up to the board and fans’ groups. One option is moving St Johnstone fans to the Geoff Brown and Ormond stands, which could generate £35,000 more.

Another idea is offering season tickets that exclude Old Firm games. I have to consider what’s best economically for the club.”

If we want a better product on the pitch, we need to generate more income, and that could potentially include additional revenue from increasing Old Firm ticket allocations, said St Johnstone CEO Fran Smith.

Acknowledging the divisive nature of the issue, Smith added: “It’s always going to be a contentious topic for the club. We’ll need to discuss it further as a board and engage with fans to ensure we make the right decision.”

Resistance to expanding away allocations is expected, particularly from the Fair City Unity, St Johnstone’s Ultras, who occupy the East Stand section closest to the North Stand. Maintaining a dedicated “territory” is crucial to Ultras culture, but allocating a portion of the East Stand to Celtic supporters next season could still be a viable compromise.

Source: https://videocelts.com/2024/11/blogs/latest-news/spfl-club-ready-to-open-talks-to-increase-celtics-away-day-ticket-allocation/