St Johnstone have been forced to reverse their decision on Celtic’s away ticket allocation, leading to a situation where Celtic supporters will benefit next month. Initially, the McDiarmid Park club reduced the number of away tickets available to Celtic fans in an attempt to encourage a larger home crowd and boost their support base for the season. For a fixture in September, Celtic was granted a mere 4,390 tickets, leaving much of the stadium unoccupied.
However, with Celtic set to visit McDiarmid Park in April, a game that could potentially see them clinch the league title, St Johnstone have had to backtrack on their earlier decision. Faced with financial pressures and the realization that their strategy was not yielding the expected results, the club has now reversed course. The impact of limiting the away ticket allocation has become apparent, and St Johnstone are now conceding that their approach was a failure.
In a statement published on the club’s official website, St Johnstone explained the change in policy for their upcoming William Hill Premiership fixture against Celtic, scheduled for Sunday, April 6th. The statement referenced previous efforts to evaluate ticketing policies for matches against Celtic and Rangers at McDiarmid Park, with a working group established to explore ways to increase home attendance and ensure a safe environment for fans. Despite these efforts, however, the club admitted that attendance for matches against Celtic and Rangers had not improved as expected.
The statement went on to acknowledge the unique circumstances surrounding the April 6th fixture. With increased interest in the match and the possibility that Celtic could secure the league title on that day, there were concerns about Celtic fans purchasing tickets in the home sections of the stadium, which could lead to potential safety issues. To address these concerns, the club decided to consolidate home supporters in the Geoff Brown Stand and allocate the East Stand, North Stand, and Ormond Stand to Celtic fans.
While St Johnstone cited safety concerns as the reason for the change, a deeper look into the statement reveals that the real motivation behind the shift was financial. The club acknowledged that allowing Celtic supporters to occupy more stands would result in significant additional revenue, which would help support their player budget for the upcoming season. With this in mind, St Johnstone’s management team concluded that it was a prudent decision to allocate more space for away fans and take advantage of the potential financial boost.
Although it may not be pleasant for clubs to publicly address financial difficulties, it is evident that the trend among some Scottish Premiership clubs to reduce away allocations for Celtic has not been effective. In fact, many stadiums remain far from full when Celtic visits, and by refusing to sell additional tickets, these clubs are missing out on valuable revenue that could support their operations. St Johnstone’s change of heart highlights the financial reality that many clubs in the league face, especially when it comes to high-profile fixtures.
As a result of this decision, Celtic fans will now be able to occupy three stands within McDiarmid Park during the April fixture. If Celtic manages to defeat Rangers the weekend prior, the match could turn into an impromptu title celebration, further adding to the excitement and demand for tickets. It’s clear that, in this instance, financial considerations and the potential for a memorable event have outweighed previous attempts to limit Celtic’s away support.
