Common sense decision good for St Johnstone, Celtic fans and Scottish game | OneFootball

St Johnstone a should be applauded for using some rare common sense. Other clubs across the Scottish Premiership should take note to end this empty seats nonsense…

St Johnstone v Celtic – Kyogo Furuhashi celebrates scoring the first goal of the game during the Scottish Premiership match at McDiarmid Park, Perth on Saturday September 28, 2024. Photo Jane Barlow

There was good news for the Celtic supporters yesterday when it was announced that St Johnstone will allocate us three stands for our upcoming Scottish Premiership clash at McDiarmid Park on Sunday 6 April.

Decision makes financial sense for St Johnstone’s new owners

It’s a fixture which could see us clinch the title if we do the business in our next few games, and having the majority of McDiarmid Park occupied by the travelling Celtic support it could well be an occasion to savour.

Whilst some have criticised the decision to hand the vast majority of tickets to the away support, especially with the home side fighting relegation, it makes nothing but total sense from a financial perspective.

Celtic fans at McDiarmid Park

St Johnstone have averaged an attendance of 3,000 – 4,000 per home game this campaign in a stadium that holds a capacity of 10,740. Their highest home attendances this term have been recorded against Celtic and The Rangers with over 7,000 bodies being present, which while being decent still left a massive 3,000 empty spaces.

Celtic support will easily fill three sides of McDiarmid Park

Those 3,000 empty spaces that will be snapped up and make the Perth side a pretty penny. Cash that will be most welcome in a time of financial uncertainty, especially as they are currently bottom of the table and in danger of being relegated to the Championship and that’s never an easy league to get out of.

The Perthshire  Saints themselves have already commented that the money will be put to good use by helping them when it comes to pursuing transfer targets in the summer.

Callum McGregor scores for Celtic at McDiarmid Park against St Johnstone on 3 December 2023. Photo by Vagelis Georgariou for The Celtic Star

Another factor here is the wider picture. If the Scottish title is won in a stadium with thousands of empty seats, it hardly shows our game in the best light to the outside world. Celtic need to win the next two games against theRangers and Hearts at Celtic Park to guarantee the title deciding showdown in Perth.

Regardless of whether the league can be won on the day it’s still good news

And these extra tickets should be allow many Celtic supporters who can’t usually get a match-day ticket for an away match to be there to hopefully see Celtic win and the title wrapped up. Even if it turns out not to be a title deciding afternoon that’s still a positive for Celtic supporters and also for St Johnstone FC.

In an era when away supporters are being denied the opportunity to attend, it’s much welcome news, and the St Johnstone owners should be applauded for showing some of that commodity that is rarely seen in the Scottish game, good old fashioned common sense. Other clubs should seriously consider following suit to maximise the money coming through the gates in the Scottish Premiership.

The St Johnstone FC Board released the following statement yesterday…

McDiarmid Park, Perth, photo St Johnstone FC

Board update regarding Celtic match on April 6th

We wish to provide supporters with an update regarding ticket allocation for our upcoming William Hill Premiership fixture against Celtic on Sunday, April 6th.

As supporters will recall, and as was announced earlier in the season, a working group has been in the process of evaluating our policies for Celtic and Rangers matches at McDiarmid Park.

During this time we have undertaken several measures to encourage higher attendance and make our fans feel safe and welcome. Despite these efforts, attendance at Celtic and Rangers games has not increased.

The April 6th Celtic match has the potential for unique issues. There is increased interest in this game and there is legitimate concern that Celtic supporters could obtain tickets in home fan areas, creating additional safety issues. We believe it is thus prudent to consolidate our support in the Geoff Brown Stand.

We always strive to create the best possible home advantage for our team but, in addition to the safety of our fans, we must also consider the financial realities that come with operating as a sustainable football club.

Substantial additional revenue will be earned from allowing Celtic fans to fill the East Stand, revenue that will benefit our player budget for next season.

As a result, and following lengthy discussions, we can confirm that away supporters will be allocated the East Stand, North Stand and Ormond Stand. As there are accessible seating areas in the East Stand, we will not be required to sell tickets to away fans in the Geoff Brown Stand.

Season ticket holders in the East Stand will be offered similar, and to the greatest extent possible, upgraded seats in the Geoff Brown Stand. Single game tickets for home supporters will be available for the Celtic fixture and are already on sale for the Aberdeen match on March 15th.

Please visit our website HERE and click the ‘Home Fan Tickets’ tab to purchase. If you have any problems, please contact our ticket office by phone, email (ticketsales@perthsaints.co.uk), or by stopping by McDiarmid Park.

This decision has not been taken lightly and has been made after significant deliberation by the working group and consultation with several supporters’ groups. Please note, this is not a definitive position going forward and will form part of our test and learn process. We will continue to assess the situation.

We remain committed to working closely with you, the fans, and never take your support for granted. We sincerely appreciate your continued backing – both home and away – and look forward to great days ahead, together.

Just an Ordinary Bhoy

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