‘Get on with it’ – Exclusive: Bruce discusses possibility of Rangers v Celtic being pushed back
We’re delighted to welcome former Scottish Premiership defender Alex Bruce as our exclusive columnist. Each week he’ll be giving his views on the biggest talking points at Rangers…
Alex Bruce has claimed that Rangers and Celtic will have to “get on with it” when it comes to playing Old Firms next season.
Speaking exclusively to Ibrox News, the former Kilmarnock defender suggested that it would be much more preferable to play the Glaswegian derby in packed out stadiums, but also argued that the final decision of the relevant governing bodies must be respected.
Celtic manager Neil Lennon claimed recently that “everybody” wants to see the Old Firm pushed back next season in an effort to give supporters as much chance as possible of being allowed back into grounds.
But while Bruce agrees that playing behind closed doors would be a disappointment, he has also suggested that the Gers and the Hoops may just have to deal with the unique circumstances, even if the SPFL decide against pushing their meetings back until later in the season.
Speaking to Ibrox News, he said: “The thought of an Old Firm without fans, just like any football match without fans, is a weird one.
“To see an Old Firm under those circumstances would be a little bit strange. You would always want supporters in the stadium because I think we’ve seen from watching the Premier League restart and the Bundesliga that a game behind closed doors, it always feel like there’s something missing.
“You always want fans there, but you just have to respect what the governing bodies are doing.
“We all want supporters in the ground, but if you can’t get them in then you just have to get on with it.”
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced on Thursday that professional sport north of the border can resume behind closed doors from Monday onwards.
The Scottish Sun reported last month that the SPFL are already considering the possibility of postponing all Old Firm clash until 2021.
In other Rangers news, Gerrard claims Gers new boy Bassey will ‘surprise a few people’.