Rangers' allocation likely to be reduced

Shelbourne appear certain to reduce their ticket allocation to Glasgow Rangers for their UEFA Cup first round qualifying match at Tolka Park next Wednesday. The Scottish club learned yesterday that their allocation of 5,000 tickets could be cut to 500 and the kick-off switched to midday with a total alcohol ban in an effort to avoid any trouble.

The two clubs will meet this morning with representatives from the Football Association of Ireland and the Garda to arrange details of the ticket distribution. Rangers confirmed that they have already received an allocation of 5,000 tickets from Shelbourne but would support whatever changes were made under the advice of the FAI and police chiefs.

Rangers chief executive Bob Brannan admitted the club was surprised at the intervention of the FAI. "We were surprised with the suggestion from the FAI that we would only be allocated 500 tickets but we have agreed that we will co-operate with them in whatever manner they feel is appropriate."

"The stadium there is not ideal, as anybody who saw Kilmarnock's match there last year will realise," he said yesterday.

FAI general secretary Bernard O'Byrne had expressed his "grave concern" at the proportion of tickets offered to the Scots. He confirmed that a meeting was scheduled for this morning to discuss new ticket arrangements. "Security has to be at the top of the list and the good name of football a priority," he added.

The normal allocation for UEFA matches like this is around 10 percent of the capacity and Tolka Park can hold just over 11,000 when the extra seats are added. That would entitle Rangers to over 1,000 of those although the original figure of 5,000 had been supported by Shelbourne.

That number had been agreed last week, according to Shelbourne secretary Ollie Byrne. "The only thing that there was any question about was which section of the ground would be used to accommodate the visiting fans," he said, but events over the weekend makes the Rangers visit a greater security concern than previously thought.

Rangers enjoy massive support among Northern Ireland's Protestant community - they even have a superstore selling club merchandise in Belfast - and there are fears that there could be confrontations with Rangers fans. The increased levels of street violence and attacks on security forces arising from the Orange Order stand-off at Drumcree also forced the FAI into the rethink.

The last time Rangers visited Dublin, in 1984, their fans fought police during a UEFA Cup match against Bohemians. It was later established that much of the trouble had come from fans travelling from the North who had obtained tickets from unofficial sources.

Switching the kick-off from 7.45 p.m. to noon and a total alcohol ban were further measures being discussed in an attempt to diffuse any potential trouble in or outside the ground.

Rangers chairman David Murray had already said that distribution of tickets would be strictly monitored but he also agreed to co-operate fully with whatever restrictions are placed on the number of their fans allowed to attend Tolka Park.

"We understand the sensitive nature of the issue and we are pretty much in their hands for the time being," he said. "The one thing that is of paramount importance to us is the safety of our fans and we are taking that very seriously."