Brendan Rodgers backing Celtic and Hibs fans to create ‘great’ atmosphere in cup

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers believes their Scottish Gas Scottish Cup tie against Hibernian will benefit from the “passion” that will be activated by the presence of 7,000 visiting fans.

Rodgers feels the home support and both teams will raise their game for the quarter-final tie.

Celtic Park has not seen such a big away support since 2018, when Rangers abandoned the long-standing tradition of each club handing over about 7,500 tickets for derby games, slashing the allocation by about 90 per cent before it temporarily disappeared altogether.

Even now, an agreement is only set to see about 2,000 away fans inside Celtic Park and Ibrox for derby clashes.

Celtic usually only hand out about 900 tickets to away fans for league games but Hibernian invoked Scottish Cup rules to request 7,000 and were well on their way to selling out for Sunday’s contest after going 15 games unbeaten.

“I just think it’ll be fantastic,” Rodgers said. “Having that number of away supporters is great.

“Hibs are on a very good run, so the supporters will be buoyed by that as well and will come and support their team and that will activate our supporters as well. So, it should be a great atmosphere.

“You can’t dismiss what it means to have away supporters in your ground, because that creates the atmosphere, that creates the rivalry.

“This game will show the passion that is there from both sets of supporters, and that will roll onto the pitch, I’m pretty sure, and create for a great atmosphere.”

Sparse attendances have blighted some FA Cup ties this season but the Scottish Cup is still a focal point for most teams’ campaigns.

“Well, it absolutely is,” Rodgers said. “I think up here, we can never forget about that. The history around the competition itself, us as a football club being the most successful club in it, tells you everything what it means to us here.

“Every team up here, they love the magic of the Scottish Cup, that final at Hampden, it’s such a special trophy to play for.

“Especially when you get to the quarter-final stage, the final is there, but you have to just focus on that game and the games that can take you there.”

Celtic’s most recent trips to Hampden this week sparked sanctions following an SPFL hearing as both they and Rangers were hit with ticket allocation reductions of 500 for their next visits in the Premier Sports Cup as a punishment for pyrotechnic displays that delayed kick-offs.

Rodgers was reluctant to add to the statement made by the club appealing for fans to heed the law and not risk more sanctions.

But he said: “I have to say the group within our support base, they give us an amazing support. The colour, everything that they bring, is so good.

“I’m not going to be closed on my thinking on it either, because I know it is in other countries where it is accepted and there is engagement there with supporters to have it.

“But I think normally over here in the UK we deem it as more dangerous than being a part of the colour of the game.

“I just think if it has a possibility to affect people’s health and put them in any danger, then I just think there are other things that we can do that can still create an amazing atmosphere. I’ve seen it so many times, what we can do without the pyro.”

Meanwhile, Rodgers was well aware of comments made by Jose Mourinho declaring himself open to managing Celtic or Rangers in the future, having been asked ahead of his Fenerbahce side’s defeat by the Light Blues.

“Well, I’ve heard he’s taking my job,” Rodgers joked. “Listen, he’s a great man. You guys would love him up here. Plenty of headlines for you, instead of the boring Irishman that’s sat here. But, no, he’s good value, Jose, and obviously a top manager.”