Queen of the South will charge for Premiership play-offs

Queen of the South will host the first play-off

Queen of the South will charge season ticket holders for the Scottish Premiership play-offs - unlike some of their potential opponents.

Rangers revealed plans on Tuesday to allow season ticket holders in for free after Motherwell insisted they would do the same should they be involved.

Hibernian could follow suit.

"Our season ticket is deliberately priced so that it allows entry to 18 league games at the cost of 16 games," said a Queens statement.

A Scottish Professional Football League levy means that 50% of gate receipts go to clubs not involved in the play-offs.

Hibs, who allowed season ticket holders in for free last season despite those guidelines, last week failed in a bid to half the gate receipts levy to 25% cent in a compromise resolution.

"We are conscious of the debate between some of our play-off rivals and the SPFL regarding whether or not season ticket holders will be given free or cheaper access to these games," added Queens.

"Notwithstanding what may or may not be decided by the league in this respect, we have always expected that our season ticket holders would pay for the play-off games - as they did last season and as they have for any cup match - and budgeted our costs on that basis.

Rangers or Hibs will face Queen of the South in the first two-leg play-off

"With the SPFL rules meaning they take a levy of 50% of the gate receipts before expenses, and the high cost of policing and stewarding these fixtures, the board do not feel that they are in a position to offer free entry to season ticket holders."

The issue of play-off funding will become more crucial after this season as the Scottish Football Association has underwritten the first two years of parachute payments.

Clubs relegated from the Premiership through the play-offs receive £500,000 and a further £250,000 if they do not go straight back up.

The SPFL received a financial boost from the Premiership play-offs on Tuesday when it announced a new deal with BT Sport to televise all six games.

Only the final was shown last season after the TV companies declined to pay extra for the games on top of their initial deal with the league.

The SPFL is expected to update its position on play-off income by the end of this week.

Queens will kick off the two-leg play-offs at Palmerston Park on 9 May against either Rangers or Hibs.

The Dumfries side clinched fourth place in the Championship last weekend and will face whoever finishes third.

Rangers, who are away to champions Hearts on Saturday, go into the final round of fixtures one point behind Hibs, who visit fifth-top Falkirk.

Winners of the first play-off will take on the second-top side before for the right to face the side finishing second bottom in the Premiership in a two-legged final.

Motherwell presently lie 11th in the top flight.