PHILIPPE Clement has welcomed Celtic and Rangers reaching agreement over the number of away fans who will be allowed in to Parkhead and Ibrox for Old Firm games next season and admitted not having any travelling supporters in attendance had been “really strange”. 

The Glasgow giants have been involved in a bitter dispute over the ticket allocations for the derby matches for months and their first two cinch Premiership meetings of the 2023/24 campaign were played out with only home fans inside the ground.

However, the SPFL announced yesterday that the away team will receive five per cent of the total capacity – around 3,000 at Celtic Park and around 2,500 at Ibrox – for the showpiece fixture from the 2024/25 campaign and that has pleased Clement. 

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Asked if he thought it was a positive development, the Belgian said: “For me, yes, for sure. I think everybody loves football with two sides of fans who sing against each other or sing towards each other and to have this atmosphere.

“Nobody enjoyed the Covid period when there were no fans, that was really difficult, it was hard. For me it was also really strange to play at Celtic Park without supporters for us. It was the first time for me and a strange experience.

“I think everybody, every player, every manager, wants both sides in the stadium. Football is about that, it is entertainment from two teams. It is a positive thing for myself.”

Glasgow Times: Clement added: “You are focused on your team and the game in derbies. But you want to hear them, you want to feel them. I am sure the other managers want it also. It is part of football, part of our lives. 

“You do it also for a big part for fans and to see them happy and feel the respect and the synergy together. I think it is an important thing, also for an atmosphere in a stadium to have two kind of fans in the stadium.”

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Rangers, who are a point behind their city rivals in the cinch Premiership table with a game in hand, will play Celtic at Ibrox in the third Old Firm game of the season on Sunday week, but the defending Scottish champions will not have any fans cheering them on in Govan.

Asked if he was disappointed that the stand-off could not have been sorted out sooner, Clement said: “No, I am not disappointed because I know making rules you cannot switch things in one day.

“There is a lot of organisation about things and relocating people because you bring fans in and all those things. I am not involved in that in the club, I have enough jobs to do! But I understand that you cannot change this thing in one week. It is a very positive thing from next season and it becomes a more normal situation.”