Hearts and Hibs anger as Betfred semi-final ticket allocations slashed by 12,000

Paul Heckingbottom has admitted to being baffled as why next weekend’s Betfred Cup semi-final against Celtic has failed to capture the imagination after the Easter Road club’s ticket allocation for Hampden was slashed from 17,000 to just 10,000.
Leeann Dempster is unhappy with the decisionLeeann Dempster is unhappy with the decision
Leeann Dempster is unhappy with the decision

Hearts, too, have seen the number of tickets available to their fans for their semi with Rangers cut by 5000 and, like their Capital neighbours, have expressed their disappointment and frustration at the decision by the SPFL.

The move, insisted Hibs chief executive Leeann Dempster, will leave “the vast majority” of fans now wanting to go to the game having to pay top prices for next Saturday evening’s match “regardless of their age or status”.

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Describing the decision as “unilateral”, Dempster said: “Whilst the club accepts the need to ensure the best possible attendance at showpiece games, it is our view that it would have been reasonable and practicable for the SPFL to accede to our request to retain a higher number of less expensive tickets.

“The response has been disappointing and frustrating.”

Her words were echoed by the Tynecastle club, who face Rangers at the national stadium the following day as they revealed they’d been in regular dialogue over the past two weeks with the SPFL trying to prevent any reduction being imposed prematurely.

In a statement posted on their website, Hearts also agreed with the principle of maximising attendance at all semi-final and final games held at Hampden but didn’t accept the timing of the intervention had been reasonable.

The Gorgie club revealed they have around 1000 briefs remaining for seats in the East Stand, priced at £25 (adults) and £10 (concessions) and roughly 2500, at a price of £30 available for the South Stand and urged fans requiring concession to buy them as soon as possible. However, Hearts remain confident that all supporters who want to go to the semi-final should be able to do so.

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But while admitting he was “over the moon” and was looking forward to the Celtic clash, as were his players, Heckingbottom believes history points to league cup semi-finals proving not to be major box

office.

He said: “I had been asking about it and it’s only when I’ve been asking the question to the guys at the club that they’ve pointed out that tends to happen. It seems to be a fixture that doesn’t really capture the imagination. I think the final would, it we got past Celtic.”

Two years ago Hibs demanded a 50/50 split of tickets when they met Celtic in the semi-final of the same competition but managed to sell barely half of their 20,000 allocation, leaving the Glasgow club to rage that thousands of their season ticket holders had been denied the chance to see the game.

Now Neil Lennon’s side will have the backing of nearly three-quarters of Hampden but insisted Heckingbottom, the goal for his player won’t change - to become the first side to deny “treble treble winning” Celtic a tenth successive major trophy.