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SCOTTISH FOOTBALL'S MOST
UNWANTED - THE FANS
October 6th 2008 A common gripe among many thousands of Celtic fans is that they are unable to buy a ticket for an away game because they are not a season ticket holder. Celtic FC points out that (A) "Tickets for Celtic's away games are available only to season ticket holders and is one of the advantages of purchasing a season ticket" and (B) "Away game tickets are only available to season ticket holders for security reasons." Because of Celtic's greed in demanding a five percent handling fee from other clubs which in turn led to other clubs selling directly to Celtic fans, point A no longer applies and shouldn't be being used as a season ticket selling point. Point B is and always was nonsense because the Club could easily ask for details of anyone buying a ticket from them for an away game whether they were a season ticket holder or not which is exactly what Kilmarnock FC did recently when selling tickets to Celtic supporters. It is common knowledge that many of the Celtic supporters who go to away games are not season ticket holders but have obtained their ticket from someone who is. Most season ticket holders simply cannot afford to go to games both at home and away every week yet still buy a ticket for the away games to increase their chances when it comes to the ballot for a game at Ibrox, Tynecastle or Easter Road, I used to do this myself but there is little point now when Celtic will have no control over the sale of tickets for Hibs and Hearts away. Our recent games at Motherwell and Kilmarnock were well short of capacity yet fans couldn't buy a ticket to get in, yes Killie were selling tickets but you had to turn up at their ticket office in advance of the day of the game with ID to buy one, there was no postal option. Celtic were selling some of the tickets for Rugby Park but only to season ticket holders. Those tickets Celtic were selling could easily have been put on general sale after a deadline date had passed for season holders and if ID had to be produced then so be it but the Club has the details of everyone who has ever bought a ticket online or by phone anyway so it wouldn't be too much of a problem. The fans' complaint is that they cannot buy or at least it is extremely difficult to buy a ticket for an away match which will be far from being sold out otherwise. You would think that clubs would want to fill their grounds with supporters since they are continually bleating about their lack of finance but this seems not to be the case. With the price of fuel these days it is costly enough travelling to away games without having to travel there and bear all the costs on your own and it's even more annoying when you see thousands of empty seats when you get there and know that there are thousands of people who would fill those seats if given the chance. Celtic may well argue that it is of little benefit to them to try to sell as many tickets as possible for away games and that would not surprise me in the least because these days the supporter comes further down the list of priorities than ever before. After the Champions League ticket shambles, the season card shambles and the Thomas Cook monopoly on away European games it makes me wonder sometimes if it's all worthwhile.
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