You can feel the extra heat brewing as Celtic and Rangers gear up to clash later this month.
This matchup never lacks intensity, but with Barry Ferguson managing from the opposing sideline and Celtic on the verge of securing the championship, the anticipation is palpable.
Celtic hold a commanding 16-point lead over their nearest rivals atop the Premiership standings, and fans are already marking the calendar for when Brendan Rodgers will hoist yet another trophy in Scotland.
From his initial tenure to now, Rodgers has steered Celtic to unrelenting supremacy, aiming to notch the club’s 55th title in its storied legacy.
Let’s not overlook that back in December, Celtic claimed their 119th trophy, edging out Rangers in a thrilling penalty shootout during the League Cup final at Hampden.
The Celtic Park crowd hasn’t let Rangers fans forget it, but come March 16, they’ll have an even louder platform to gloat as away supporters make their return to the Glasgow derby.
Graeme Souness is thrilled that away fans will be back when Celtic welcome Rangers:
Both clubs issued statements last week confirming that away supporters will be present at Parkhead and Ibrox for the forthcoming derby fixtures.
Reports indicate that ‘four per cent of saleable capacity’ will be allocated to visiting fans, a development that has Graeme Souness beaming.
The ex-midfielder called it ‘only a good thing’, highlighting the ‘ferocious’ energy of this rivalry and insisting no other fixture compares, as he shared with PLZ Soccer.
“I played in lots of big derbies,” said Souness. “The most ferocious and passionate one is still the Glasgow derby, for me.
“So, for the players, it will be like a Glasgow derby, in terms of the atmosphere and they have to deal with it.
On away fans returning: “I think, in any game of football, and especially Celtic vs Rangers. The home team, then it’s a challenge for them to make more noise than the away team. It’s only a good thing.”
What Celtic and Rangers said about away fans returning for the Glasgow derby
Rodgers had previously pointed out that the absence of away fans was a ‘Rangers thing’, and it seems the tension from their side has finally eased.
Regardless, Rangers released this statement about the away fan agreement: ‘Rangers supporters will be able to attend our match with Celtic on 16 March, with the two clubs agreeing for a reciprocal percentage of tickets to be allocated to away fans.
‘Approximately four per cent of saleable capacity at both stadiums will be given to the visiting club, with everyone at Rangers looking forward to having the backing of our supporters in the East End of Glasgow in just over a fortnight’s time.
‘The arrangement will then be repeated for the Old Firm derby at Ibrox following the split’.
While Celtic can’t clinch the title against Rangers in front of their home crowd, barring an astonishing upset, they’ll have the championship secured by the time they travel to Ibrox post-split.
That’ll give Celtic’s away supporters the perfect chance to twist the knife, and here’s how the club addressed it in their statement:
‘We can confirm that, following the previous SPFL determination from last year and with necessary requirements being addressed, away supporters will be present at the next two Glasgow derby matches this season at Celtic Park and Ibrox’.
