Hibs fans told not to cash in on Gers briefs

HIBS fans were today warned against being tempted into cashing in on Rangers supporters desperate to buy tickets for Sunday's clash at Easter Road which could see Walter Smith's side lift the SPL title.

The demolition of the East Stand at Hibs' ground saw the Ibrox club's allocation of tickets slashed to just 1500 – all of which have been sold – instead of around 3800.

And that's created a potential black market in briefs with one attempt to sell tickets via an online auction site having already been blocked while offers of 100 a seat have also been reported.

Hibs themselves have also been inundated by supporters from Glasgow anxious to buy a ticket, requests which have been rejected with the club keeping a tight grip on to whom they are sold.

Only those whose names and addresses are on the club's database have been allowed to purchase tickets, which makes it, according to Hibs' director of marketing and communications, Fife Hyland, easy to identify anyone who succumbs to the temptation to make a quick profit by selling their brief on.

He said: "We've had lots of Rangers fans trying to buy tickets but their allocation, which we sold direct to them, has sold out as have all our hospitality packages."

Hyland admitted he was aware of the possibility of Rangers supporters persuading Hibs fans to sell but, he declared, it was a risk not worth taking, pointing out the nature of the game meant any visiting supporter in the home areas was likely to be quickly identified. While any supporter discovered in the wrong area is liable to be immediately ejected from the ground, Hyland warned further action would be likely against anyone breaching the club's security arrangements. He said: "If we find any Rangers fans in the areas reserved for Hibs supporters then we'll very quickly find out from whom they got their ticket. As in any Category A match we sell only to those whose names and addresses are on our database which means we know who should be sitting in each seat. We'd urge our fans not to even consider it, as they'd be jeopardising their potential to buy tickets for future matches."

• HIBS' penultimate game of the season, against Motherwell at Fir Park, has been brought forward 24 hours to Wednesday, 5 May, at 7.45pm