‘Scotland Was Let Down’ – Celtic Women star slams Rangers Women for Old Firm decision at Ibrox.
Defensor Caitlin Hayes of Celtic Women has blasted Rangers Women for deciding to cancel tickets for Hoops fans attending their Old Firm match.
On Sunday, February 18, the two Glasgow rivals battled out a 1-1 draw in front of an Ibrox crowd; however, no away fans showed up, as gangs of “risk” supporters were rumored to be attending the match.
Instead, on Sunday, only supporters from the home team were permitted to travel to Ibrox. Hoops defender Hayes has criticized this decision, saying that the Light Blues have “let down” Scottish women’s football.
On Sunday, February 18, she wrote on her personal X account, saying, “Football without fans is nothing.” Scotland’s women’s football team was let down today. That was not the case 401 miles away on a Saturday when the Emirates was completely booked and the game’s popularity was growing.
“When the opposition isn’t given the same opportunity to be represented on stage, it is simply impossible to promote a fixture with the fictitious goal of growing the game.”
“If you take away color, you’re depriving young girls in particular of the chance to see what they can become if they have that dream.” That dream, like the pillars upon which women’s football was established, is inclusive of everyone, regardless of the colors you choose to wear.
“No matter what the situation, if you can’t prepare, budget, and accommodate, don’t host. The game’s reputation is harmed in this situation. a reputation that each of us is working to establish.
Has women’s football and Celtic been let down by Rangers Women?
Rangers Women did not see the Sunday match as an opportunity to bar away supporters from entering the stadium; rather, they made the decision to cancel Celtic fans’ attendance out of concern for their safety.
This season, Jo Potter’s team has gone above and beyond to promote the women’s game in Scotland, so they would have appreciated having supporters from both teams inside Ibrox for the most recent tie.
Hopefully, the choice chosen for this Sunday’s match at Ibrox won’t need to be changed. While it’s true that the Gers should have done a better job of preparing, it hasn’t been argued that they intentionally set out to damage women’s football’s reputation.
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