Kmcalpin

Whether we like it or not yesterday was the "perfect storm". One side going flat out for the title, knowing that goal difference could be critical and the other side just looking to keep fit and avoid injuries. No, of course the players didn't want to get hammered but they'll know themselves the reasons why. The final will be a different ball game - the lads will know they've got to fire on all cylinders and will be pumped up for for it. Not pretty spectating I agree but thems are the facts.

I'd far rather that Jennings, Lasley and Co didn't go steaming into challenges and end up with damaged ligaments or bruised ribs and made the final than go steaming in as they usually would and pick up heavy knocks that could put them out of the final. Rangers have a huge sqaud, despite what the media would have you believe and can afford to chop and change. A cup final win is far more important than holding Rangers to a draw and trailing Killie by one less point.

Quite relaxed about the scoreline today although that doesn't mean I liked it. For many players the Cup Final will be one of the biggest games of their careers and their minds were clearly on that. This was no day to pick up injuries, particualrly in a meaningless game competition wise. Our play was characterised by bottling out of challenges and a desire not to get involved. Quite understandable and if I'd been a player I'd have done exactly the same. If we had a fault its that Stuart McCall didn't give some fringe players like Page, McHugh and Forbes a starting slot. They would have had a point to prove. The ref did is no favours and gifted Rangers 2 goals including the first. He booked Jeffers but failed to book Bougherra for 2 similar offences. Should Lafferty have gone? Yes - if not for a straight red then for 2 yellows. The players won't be too upset and neither should we be. We've all bigger fish to fry.

If you're only looking for a single seat it shouldn't be too difficult. However, you'll find most of the best seats have been taken. If opting for the East or POD Stand, be careful that there are no pillars obscuring your view. I've been caught like that before.

Lets hope folk post on here what shops/businesses display C & A, those that dipslay green and white and those that refuse to display our colours. It'll help to inform us where to take our business in future.

Yes, the club could lose a few fans. If PATG fans are disdvantaged then yes a few will be so brassed off they'll never come back. Likewise if ST holders were to be hacked off a few of them would thow away their tickets in disgust. A few fans will also get tickets no doubt and still be so brassed off with the process they'll never return either. As others have said the club will not please everyone. Its been mentioned on this thread that Supporters Clubs will get tickets through the Association and thats entirely right.

Thats the rub. How far does the club's records go back? I don't doubt that information from recent years will be reasonably accurate, but what if a lapsed ST holder last bought their ticket in say 1999 or 1980? Is ticking the appropriate box proof enough? Good idea in principle but not quite sure how relevant this will be in practice.

Yes, in an earlier post it mentioned that the Supporters Association would receive an allocation. Thats perfectly fair I think.

The demand then will not be as great as it is now. Not everyone got their tickets but most did. Quite a few Rangers fans in our end some even brazen enough to wear RFC tops. We didn't get a 50/50 allocation.

Agree mate. I hope thats what happens.

That would be my guess. I'm sure Falkirk was allocated about 16,000 tickets a year or two back. Say there are 8,000 corporate tickets, we get 16,000 and Celtic get 28,000.

A possible idea, although not without its problems, is to limit "open" sales to personal callers with a voucher from a season ticket book - hopefully most fans without a ST could obtain a voucher from a season ticket holding acquaintance. Such a system would be ST holder verified by proxy.

The main issue for me is to prevent Celtic fans getting their hands on tickets to the detriment of our own support. They were not weeded out from our support in 2005 by the Police / stewards and they will not be weeded out in the final. As has been said many times before, the answer is some kind of database. I would hope that the club has some such mechanism in place built up from season ticket sales, the club's email list, Euro games, Trust & Association membership, and big game sales. Could they be cross checked against Celtic's ST database? Perhaps also "open applications" could be verified by ST holders/Trust/Association although this may be just too complicated to operate.

Exactly. Lets just wait and see shall we until details are released. Too early to start putting the boot into the club. I'm sure Leeann and her colleagues are well aware of the issues.

A good idea in theory but it would be open to too much abuse, leading to loss of income.

The club holds details of those fans who have registered for the site and who receive official emails right? Could work be done to establish which of them don't have season tickets and they could then be emailed a numbered voucher(s)?

I'm sure someone in the EoS Branch will help you out. They may even be given a ticket allocation for their members.

Control over tickets is difficult. I would hope however that the club has some kind of database of season ticket holders, lapsed ST holders, fans who took up European tickets etc. Add to that Trust and Supporters Association members. In my view a completely open sale would be the last resort, although it may have to come to that. Before we got to that stage, I'd hope that MFC would issue some kind of vouchers at the home games V Rangers and Kilmarnock. I'm pretty certain that all genuine Well fans will be able to get their hands on tickets. This really is where membership of the Supporters Association or Trust could come into its own for PATG fans. This was one reason why the Fife & Tayside Supporters club morphed from an informal group of friends. For those living away from Lanarkshire it can prove to be a real boon when it comes to getting tickets.

Now arranged to hand flag over.

Well they certainly didn't put anything like 50k into the semi final pot, probably half that.

I'm sure Tom was a Chemistry teacher at Kings Park secondary in Glasgow until he retired a year or two back.

Yes there is. Surely someone from the club could provide advice.

By all accounts the semi yesterday was not a sell out - some 15,00 or so short of capacity. That means that probably about half of Celtic's season ticket holders didn't attend.

Almost certainly you're right. But why should it be this way. Celtic will have far more buses coming from the west than we will. Logically, the club whose home is the westernmost of the two opponents ie Celtic should take the west end of the stadium. Thats how it was for the semi. No doubt logic won't come into it though.

I've got a spare flag if anyone can use it - PM me.