Menu
International Football

Scottish Clubs Celtic, Rangers Accused Of Padding Attendance Reports

Scottish Football crowds at Celtic and Rangers games this season "have been up to 20,000 lower than the figures released to the public," according to John Ferguson of the Scotland DAILY RECORD. The revelation explains "the huge gaps in the stands when the clubs have been claiming near full-houses." The number of supporters the clubs publicize "is far larger than the true figure reported to police." Fans "used freedom of information laws to force Strathclyde Police to reveal the real number of supporters attending games at Ibrox and Parkhead." Celtic reported a figure of 49,428 on the Scottish Premier League website for its game against Ross County at Parkhead in December -- 20,497 more than the real attendance of 28,931. When Rangers played Queen’s Park at Ibrox in October, the attendance figure was announced at 49,463. The "real number given to police" was just 34,481. The difference is "understood to be made up mainly of season ticket holders counted as attending when they have not actually gone to the game" (DAILY RECORD, 3/16).

PERCEPTION AND REALITY: In Edinburgh, Tom English opined "to suggest that Celtic and Rangers are more alike than many of their supporters would ever care to imagine is to subject yourself to a social media fatwa -- but it’s the truth." All season, we have "marvelled at the phenomenal crowds that have piled into Ibrox." Turns out that the numbers "have been tweaked somewhat." In its 11 home games from the beginning of the season to the end of January, Rangers officially recorded a combined attendance of 515,250 when in fact it was 407,909. Celtic’s official crowd figures "have been the source of much comedy this season, their certified numbers telling you one thing and the naked eye telling you quite another." In their first 13 home league games this season, Celtic said that a total of 597,391 attended Parkhead when the amount given to the police was 437,990 (SCOTSMAN, 3/17).

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 18, 2024

Sports Business Awards nominees unveiled; NWSL's historic opening weekend and takeaways from CFP deal

ESPN’s Jay Bilas, BTN’s Meghan McKeown, and a deep dive into AppleTV+’s The Dynasty

On this week’s Sports Media Podcast from the New York Post and Sports Business Journal, ESPN’s Jay Bilas talks all things NCAA. Big Ten Network’s Meghan McKeown shares her insight into the Caitlin Clark craze. The Boston Globe’s Chad Finn chats all things Bean Town. And SBJ’s Xavier Hunter drops in to share his findings on how the NWSL is making a social media push.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

Shareable URL copied to clipboard!

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Global/Issues/2013/03/18/International-Football/Old-Firm.aspx

Sorry, something went wrong with the copy but here is the link for you.

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Global/Issues/2013/03/18/International-Football/Old-Firm.aspx

CLOSE