Ireland international Caitlin Hayes has called out Rangers for their decision to ban Celtic supporters from Ibrox, jut 24 hours before the rivals played each other on Sunday.
On Saturday, Rangers said that an "urgent operational meeting between both clubs and Police Scotland" had taken place, after a number of "risk" supporters purchased tickets for the game.
With Celtic unwilling to cancel these supporters' tickets only, the decision was made to cancel the whole Celtic allocation, after police said that they would need a sizeable presence at the game.
A number of Celtic fans did manage to get into the game, and Hayes made her feelings known after the 1-1 draw, by revealing a t-shirt that said "football without fans is nothing."
Football without fans is nothing. pic.twitter.com/kF6fef2XBx
— Caitlin Hayes (@caitlin5hayes) February 18, 2024
Caitlin Hayes reveals t-shirt slamming Rangers
Later on Sunday, the defender shared an image of herself wearing the shirt, along with a message in which she compared the occasion to the record-breaking attendance at the Women's Super League game between Arsenal and Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium on the same weekend.
"Today women's football in Scotland was let down," wrote Hayes. "In a weekend where the Emirates was sold out and the growth of the game took an applause, the same could not be said 401 miles away.
"You simply can't advertise a fixture based upon the opportunity to see representation on a stage, with the false intent to grow the game, when the same opportunity isn't there for the opposition.
"Take colours away and you're denying opportunity for young girls, in particular, to see what they can be, if they dream that dream.
"That dream isn't inclusive to the colours you wear but inclusive to all, just like the foundations women's football was built upon. Whatever the circumstances may be; don't host if you can't accommodate, plan and fund accordingly.
"It's the reputation of the game that gets damaged. A reputation we are ALL collectively building."
Attendances in the Scottish Women's Premier League, in which Celtic and Rangers compete, have been on the rise in recent times, with a record 8,234 people attending matches in the opening month of this season back in August, a 30% increase on the same month in 2022.
See Also: Momentum Gathering Behind Chris Coleman To Be Next Ireland Boss
