Partick Thistle have asked their supporters how many tickets the club should allocate to Celtic for their upcoming Premier Sports Cup quarter-final.
Mark Wilson's side were drawn to play the current cup holders in the next knockout round of the competition, with a place at Hampden on the line.
The game will be played on the weekend of September 20/21, with the Hoops heading to Firhill.
With the Jags seeking additional funds to bolster their first team squad amid a backdrop of cutbacks, many pundits feel the Championship club should maximise their revenue opportunity by selling most of the stadium's capacity to Celtic fans.
Of course, as it's a cup game, the gate will be split 50-50 regardless of how many supporters will out the stands.
Partick are seeking the views of the fans, presenting them with two options for next month's game.
Their statement reads: "Our forthcoming Premier Sports Cup quarter-final with Celtic in September presents us with an exciting home fixture against Premiership opposition.
"But it also requires us, as a fan-owned club, to work together to decide on how to maximise the potential opportunities it provides us, both in sporting and financial terms.
"The excellent work of Mark Wilson and his squad in getting to this stage puts us within one match of the semi-finals, 50 years on from our last one in this competition, and in our 150th anniversary season.
"The Wyre Stadium at Firhill is our home, and ideally we’d want to see all three stands full of red and yellow. The recent play-offs in particular, have shown the numbers you can turn out in.
"However, we must also strike a balance between that and the pragmatic financial opportunity that facing Celtic presents us.
"Previous games against Celtic have seen us house their supporters in the Jackie Husband Stand, and on occasion, also the John Lambie Stand. These decisions were taken to maximise ticket sales and to reduce stewarding and policing challenges.
Read more:
-
Why Adam Idah was hooked at half-time as Celtic form concerns go on
-
FC Kairat boss delivers verdict on Celtic, makes second leg 'promise'
"This time, we are canvassing the views of the club’s owners, the beneficiaries of the PTFC Trust. If you are a Season Ticket holder, 71 Club member, or a member of either The Jags Foundation or The Jags Trust, you will be contacted shortly by email to take part in a fan survey. While there is no formal requirement for a beneficiary vote, your voice will shape our decision on this important issue.
"We will also be engaging in the coming days with representatives from the Disabled Supporters’ Association, Ultras Thistle, Proud Jags, and Her Game Too. We want a noisy and colourful Red and Yellow Army, but we also want our solution to be open and inclusive.
"In our view, there are two clear options for supporters to consider.
"Option One would see us offer circa 7,850 tickets to home supporters hosted in the Jackie Husband and John Lambie Stands. Celtic fans would be housed in the Colin Weir Stand, with an allocation of circa 2,000.
"Option Two would see us offer circa 3,950 tickets for home fans in the Colin Weir and John Lambie Stands. Celtic would be given the full Jackie Husband Stand, with circa 5,900 tickets.
"As a club, with the endorsement of the Trustees, we firmly believe that the John Lambie Stand should be retained for our supporters. In the summer of 2024, our fans voted overwhelmingly to introduce the singing section, which is now a permanent feature. As the home of Ultras Thistle, and given the atmosphere they and others in the stand generate, we have ruled out any solutions that involve giving this stand to visiting supporters.
"To give additional recent context, an average of 4,900 Thistle fans were in attendance across our two play-off matches last season.
"While pricing for this fixture has not yet been set, we can make some key assumptions to assist with supporters’ decision making.
"Under Option Two, allocating the maximum 3,950 tickets to our fans in the Colin Weir and John Lambie Stands allows us to sell out the Jackie Husband Stand to visiting supporters, maximising revenue while giving us a target to fill our home sections.
"By contrast, if we used both the Jackie Husband and John Lambie Stands for home fans but still sold only 3,950 home tickets, revenue would fall by around 40%, leaving just under 2,000 empty seats in home sections. Each additional unsold home seat would further increase the revenue gap between the two options.
"The consideration, therefore, is whether we believe we can sell 7,850 tickets ourselves, and be comfortable with making less money if there are unsold seats, or if the best option is to target 3,950 home sales and still have two stands full of our supporters."
