News broke on Thursday that Rangers will have to start the new campaign without Ibrox, with improvement works being carried out there over the summer delayed. [BBC SPORT]
The delay comes as some of the materials, which were ordered from Asia, won’t arrive in Scotland until the end of July. It shows very poor planning by the Ibrox club and a reluctance to source materials closer to home to ensure a timely installation.
There will be 2,500 away fans at the derbies next season on the agreement from BOTH clubs that they will install temporary netting to go around away fans.
Celtic have already submitted their application to Glasgow City Council, while we’re yet to see the same submission from the Ibrox club. Granted the Glasgow derby at Celtic Park comes first, but it’s something Celtic must now seek assurances about.
Given Rangers’ recent issues that have led to them not being able to use their stadium, it’s crucial for Celtic to ensure that appropriate safety measures are in place for when it’s Rangers’ turn to host the derby.
It’s to avoid a scenario where Celtic has already distributed tickets for the Glasgow Derby at Celtic Park, only to find out later that the required safety installations at Ibrox are not ready, potentially compromising fan safety and causing logistical issues and perhaps locking Celtic fans out altogether.