SCOTTISH coaching veteran Alex Smith last night lambasted the SFA for charging £60 for the upcoming friendly with England, describing the price as "outrageous" and "a slap in the face" to the Tartan Army.
Gordon Strachan's men host the Auld Enemy at Celtic Park on November 18 in a rematch of last year's hugely successful meeting at Wembley, which saw Scotland defeated 3-2 in front of 80,485 fans.
However, any supporters hoping to watch the encounter from the front of the Main Stand will have to shell out a Category 1 price of £60, with Category 2 briefs only three pounds less expensive.
With fees included, punters could be shelling out £65 for what Smith describes as a "meaningless" friendly - and the veteran coach has pulled no punches in his assessment of the situation.
"The SFA are charging £45 for Scotland's European Championship qualifier against Ireland at Celtic Park next month," said Smith.
"If that's not enough, you can expect to pay £60 to watch a meaningless friendly against England. That's not just expensive, that's outrageous.
"I know the SFA is an organisation which costs a lot of money to run, but no-one can convince me £60 is an acceptable price.
"That ticket price for a friendly is a slap in the face to every Scotland supporter who has followed the national side through some dark days in the last 16 years."
SFA chief executive Stewart Regan has previously defended the governing body's "fair and equitable" pricing policy, insisting it is wholly in line with other forms of entertainment.
However, that argument holds no sway with the former Scotland Under-21s manager, with Smith adding: "Whoever deemed that an acceptable price should be ashamed of themselves."
Smith believes the near-15,000 empty seats at Ibrox last Saturday as Scotland defeated Georgia spoke volumes. Despite the national team's resurgence under Gordon Strachan, ensuring the country was on a high going into the Euro 2016 qualifier, the official crowd was only 34,719.
Smith reckons the £45 price tag for an adult ticket meant that many people simply could not afford to roar on Strachan's men.
"The working man's game? Not any more," added Smith. "If we needed proof that football is pricing itself out of reach of the people who love the game, then the last week has provided more than enough damning evidence.
"Just 34,719 watched Scotland beat Georgia in a crucial European Championships qualifier at Ibrox last Saturday. Why? Because it cost £45 a ticket.
"The country is still struggling through tough times financially and watching football has become an expense which is increasingly unrealistic to justify when bills need to be paid and food put on the family table."
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