Aberdeen supporters and the club’s board sent a clear and defiant message to the SFA by quickly selling out their Scottish Cup final ticket allocation.
The Red Army snapped up the Dons’ 20,000 briefs for the Hampden clash against Celtic in under 10 hours.
It is a tremendous show of strength by Aberdeen supporters and the club’s hierarchy.
The SFA initially only offered 16,800 guaranteed tickets for the final on May 24, which was absolutely ridiculous.
Ticket allocations for cup finals should always be an initial 50-50 split with both clubs given a certain timeframe to sell them.
If there are tickets remaining on that deadline, then they can go to the other club to sell if needed.
Chairman Dave Cormack and the club’s board underlined their faith in the fans by underwriting the cost of an extra 3,200 tickets.
Aberdeen board’s faith vindicated
That was to secure a fairer split of seats at Hampden for Aberdeen’s first Scottish Cup final since 2017.
The board’s move was vindicated as Aberdeen fans snapped them all up in a day.
I hope the SFA take note!
Tickets only went on sale at 8am on Monday and by 5.30pm the Red Army had bought the lot.
What an effort.
Aberdeen supporters and the club’s hierarchy obliterated any ridiculous notion Celtic, or Rangers, should be offered more tickets.
It was a loud and clear message to the SFA the West of Scotland is not the be all and end all for Scottish football.
Hopefully this will ensure clubs do not have to fight for extra tickets in the future when facing Celtic or Rangers in a final at the national stadium.
A disregard for Aberdeen supporters
That initial allocation offered showed complete disregard for the way the Red Army have mobilised in recent years for finals.
More than 40,000 Aberdeen supporters descended on Parkhead in 2014 for the League Cup final win against Inverness Caley Thistle.
Aberdeen also sold out their allocation for the League Cup final against Rangers in December 2023 in one day.
Dave Cormack, the club’s board and the Red Army stood up and made their voice and strength heard by pushing for a larger allocation and quickly selling it out.
That is a formidable show of unity that is at the heart of the club.
The unity between the club and fanbase will be fundamental at Hampden in the bid to lift the Scottish Cup for the first time since 1990.
Ultras Aberdeen launched a fundraising campaign to raise money for a display at the final.
Chairman Cormack boosted the fund with a generous £1,000 contribution in another show of unity with the fans.
Aberdeen fans the best in Scotland
Aberdeen have the best travelling support in Scotland and the initial allocation from the SFA should have reflected this, but it didn’t.
The Dons shouldn’t have to fight for extra tickets and underwrite the cost of more than 3,000.
The Red Army regularly sell out their allocation for away games, and that has been the case throughout this season.
Even when the Reds were in the midst of a 14-game winless slump in the Premiership, supporters still travelled to cheer them on in away games.
These supporters are spending a lot of their hard-earned money and giving up their time to cheer on the team.
Hopefully the 20,000-strong Red Army at Hampden will witness the club end a 35-year wait to lift the Scottish Cup.
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