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Daily Record
Daily Record
National
Rory Cassidy

Rangers fans set to take over Leipzig's ground after scores of punters snap up tickets for home end

Rangers fans are set to take over RB Leipzig's stadium for their Europa League semi-final clash – after scores snapped up tickets for the home end.

They piled into the German club's online public sale after registering on their official website.

A leading football safety expert yesterday urged bosses to relocate the canny Light Blues supporters in a separate section of the Red Bull Arena.

Thousands of Gers fans are expected to make the journey for Thursday's match despite the official ticket allocation being around 2,200.

Peter Houghton, Director of Operations at England's Football Safety Officers Association, said RB Leipzig must honour the tickets.

He said the Bundesliga club should learn lessons from English clubs and allow Gers fans safe passage into the match.

Houghton said: "I find it incredible the German police, the competition organiser and Leipzig have allowed this to happen.

Peter Houghton is Director of Operations at England's Football Safety Officers Association. (Facebook.)

"Due to the number of Polish people in England, there have been matches where large numbers of Polish fans have bought tickets for the home end at games.

"It happened at White Hart Lane when Spurs played Wisla Krakow in 2008, and at the Etihad when Manchester City played Lech Poznan in 2010.

"Safety officers identified which customers from the manifest had Polish names - they were from all across the country.

Inside the Red Bull Arena. (Bongarts/Getty Images)

"Their tickets were cancelled and they were issued new ones, which they picked up from the ground on the day.

"A specific part of the ground, which was easy to isolate and held about 6500 people, was given to the Polish fans who had bought tickets for the home end.

"RB Leipzig should look at who's bought tickets, and make arrangements for Rangers fans to be grouped together, away from the Leipzig supporters."

One Rangers fan who bought a ticket said: "This is by far the biggest game in living memory for Rangers fans, and guys are doing all they can to get to the game.

"The die-hards weren't taking any chances when it came to the lottery of the away allocation."

Another supporter said: "My mates managed to get five all sitting together.

"We're hopeful we'll still get a ticket for the Rangers end but this was a good chance to have a back-up plan in case we don't."

Another fan feared Leipzig may cancel Scottish tickets.

He said: "Getting the tickets was surprisingly easy. But we're not there yet.

"It's unimaginable that Leipzig fans could get tickets for Ibrox as easily."

Rangers and RB Leipzig were approached for comment.

Police Scotland and a spokesperson for the Police Headquarters in Leipzig declined to comment.

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