Celtic last night cut Rangers’ ticket allocation for the opening derby fixture of the season to just 800 in a move they claim they were forced to make in order to protect the best interests of their own support.

In a statement released yesterday afternoon the Parkhead side say they were forced to make the decision in order that their own support would not be “doubly penalised” after Rangers announced in May that they would make just 900 tickets available for future games at Ibrox between the sides.

Celtic expressed disappointment that the decision to cut ticket numbers was made without any consultation and have called for a dialogue between the clubs and the league in order to protect the sporting draw and atmosphere of the fixture.

Steven Gerrard is due to take Rangers to Celtic Park on Sunday, September 2 in a game that the Ibrox side would traditionally have expected to receive around 7,000 tickets for.

They will have a little more than 10% of that with Celtic insisting that they had no option but to mirror the decision made by Rangers at the end of last season.

Ibrox chiefs claimed that due to excessive season ticket demand they regarded the decision as the only one available to them. Celtic insisted they had wished to shy away from going down the same route but believed their hand had been forced.

In a statement, they said: “Celtic Football Club has confirmed that it will issue approximately 800 tickets to visiting supporters for the fixture against Rangers at Celtic Park on September 2.

“This mirrors the decision announced recently by Rangers.

“This is not a development we welcome and it is unfortunate that the initial decision came without any form of discussion.

“The previous arrangements worked well for both sets of supporters as well as contributing to the status of the fixture as a sporting occasion.

“Following the unilateral action by Rangers, we cannot allow our own supporters to be doubly penalised, by having access to the away fixture reduced so dramatically, while not being offered the opportunity to maximise our own support at Celtic Park.

“The rules of the SPFL call for ‘reasonable’ provision to be made for visiting supporters, without being specific on numbers.

“Within that context, we would welcome further discussions involving the two clubs and the SPFL.

“Celtic’s decision relates, at this stage, to the match on September 2, 2018.

“Meanwhile, Celtic will closely monitor the implications for crowd management and other factors surrounding these fixtures.

“We will at all times be guided by the interests of our own supporters and the reputation of Scottish football.”