Rangers to charge £5 playoff entry

Rangers will charge season ticket holders for play-off matches - but have set a cut-price £5 entrance fee across the board.

Rangers last week claimed it was "fundamentally wrong'' to ask season ticket holders to pay extra for the end-of-season games.

But the club changed their stance after appeals from the Scottish Professional Football League board to abide by the rules.

SPFL rules state that home clubs must hand over half of their play-off income to the league while rules on charging home and away fans comparable fees mean that season ticket holders must also pay.

Rangers revealed that they had put tickets for their home quarter-final second-leg clash against Queen of the South up for sale.

A statement said: "The club is pleased to announce that after careful consideration tickets for the above match are priced at £5 across the board.

"Several pricing structures, including allowing season-ticket holders free admission with other fans paying between £5 and £20, were studied but it is believed the most favourable option for the club and its supporters is a flat price of £5.

"This means the club can cover the costs of staging the match - between £70,000 and £80,000 - and at the same time comply with the SPFL rule, which demands a 50 per cent levy from gate receipts after VAT (but not the club's costs) has been deducted.

"The cost to the club of allowing season-ticket holders free admission would have been substantial after accounting for the levy that would be due to the SPFL.

"Despite media speculation never at any time did Rangers state it would not adhere to SPFL rules and the club believes that setting this flat fee should meet with the approval of all concerned.

"The £5 ticket price for all will ensure as many supporters as possible can back the team and should we progress to the next stage of the play-offs our pricing policy will not change.''