Ross County won’t have any travelling fans in Ibrox this weekend as they ask Rangers to reinstate the Covid-19 red zone.
As a result of the request – which will see a red zone behind the dugouts in order to protect Ross County players and staff from infection – Rangers fans have had to move season ticket holders.
Naturally, this has led to the Ibrox club rehousing their supporters in the traditional away section of the stadium in a move which is reminiscent of early season.
Both Rangers and Celtic were forced to deny allocations to away supporters in early season due to the Covid-19 red zone, with both clubs obligated to look after season ticket holders.
This was reversed in early October following a formal complaint being lodged to the SPFL by Hearts.
“Ahead of this weekend’s match with Rangers we can confirm there will be no away ticket allocation,” reads a Ross County statement.
“Due to our club still requiring a red zone to maintain safe social distancing and to best protect our squad, we have been informed by Rangers that they cannot provide an away allocation as they need to relocate their fans who ordinarily would have been seated in our red zone area.
“We know this will be frustrating for our supporters, as it is to our club that we cannot have you with us.
“At present, with a small number of our players yet to be double vaccinated we feel it is essential to maintain a red zone to maintain the high standards we have set in handling COVID-19 over the last 18 months.”
Big, bad Rangers denying poor, little Ross County an allocation?
However, the entire thing has kicked up a bit of a stink in the press as the story is spun back against big, bad Rangers who have denied poor, little Ross County access to the match.
Beggars, it appears, can be choosers.
The Daily Record in particular have come in for criticism for their story concerning the situation, which they described as an “away fan snub”.
It’s this suggestion that Rangers are the proactive ones here, pulling the rug out underneath Ross County for their own malevolent benefit. The usual pointless, bitter, misleading negativity.
Rangers media partners Heart & Hand – who certainly have previous with the newspaper – took aim at this suggestion both on Twitter and in their Daily Update [02/11/21].
“The Daily Record decided that they would go with ‘Rangers in Ross County away fan snub as Ibrox club pull ticket allocation over red zone request’,” said host David Edgar.
“It says ‘County initially had 900 tickets for their clash at Ibrox this weekend but Rangers have withdrawn it’. No they haven’t.
“They never had 900 tickets. They never had it withdrawn. Rangers aren’t insisting on a red zone, why the hell would they? To move our own fans and cause bother.
“Ross County did, were well aware that it meant no away fans – let’s face it, they wouldn’t have sold 900 tickets anyway if we’re being totally honest.
“There is no way at all that you can make that mistake unless you’re just making it up because if you ask Rangers, they’ll tell you that, if you ask Ross County, they’ll tell you that.
“So therefore, all you can do is not do that, and make something up, and that’s exactly what the Record has done.
“Then they have the gall to complain that they’re not allowed into Ibrox. No wonder when they come away with stuff like this.”
Whilst Rangers are certainly not snubbing Ross County, Gers fans will be hoping the club take advantage of SPFL rules after they were actually snubbed by Old Firm rivals Celtic.