Aberdeen boss Stephen Glass reckons the return of fans to Pittodrie will gave the Rangers game the spectacle it deserves.
The limit on 500 supporters at stadiums was lifted on Tuesday by the First Minister, with Dons fans already reacting with glee at the news.
January 17 is the key date when the restrictions will be eased, albeit supporters will have to prove they are fully vaccinated – including a booster if the second dose was more than a month ago – and 50% of the attending spectators should be checked.
Aberdeen’s home game with Rangers, one of the most hotly-anticipated fixtures of the season, comes a day later and Glass is delighted to get fans back into the ground in huge numbers.
He told Sky Sports: “I think it’s brilliant. There was a big disappointment when the news came out originally and I think you’ll see as big an uplift when people are allowed back in. Especially for a game like this.
“I was happy when the game got cancelled, because of the amount of fans that were going to be in.
🗣️"You'll see a spectacle with that game, with the amount of people in the stadium."
With capacity crowds returning in the Premiership next week, Aberdeen boss Stephen Glass says it was right to move the winter break.
Watch Aberdeen vs Rangers live on Sky Sports next Tuesday📺
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) January 11, 2022
“I think you’ll see a spectacle that game deserves, with the amount of people that will be in the stadium.”
The initial guidance was the limit on spectators attending outdoor events would be in place for three weeks and there were fears it could be extended.
The Premiership played one round of fixtures with capped attendances and brought forward its winter break, to enable games to be played with full houses at a later date.
Glass added: “There will obviously be a few people watching on TV, that were home seeing their families and might now not be at the game, but you still get to see it on the television.
“It’s important that we try engage as many of the people that are coming to watch us, to keep coming back. It’s a big opportunity for us and one I’m hoping we’ll take.”