Old Firm contest between Rangers and Celtic youth to be screened live on BBC Scotland
A young Rangers team will take on Celtic at Hampden in this evening’s Scottish Youth Cup final but the event will not be played in front of supporters.
The game has a 7.05pm kick-off and will be screened live on BBC Scotland, as confirmed by the official club website.
A very small crowd of club representatives and family will make up the sparse attendance at the national stadium.
In what is a showpiece game at Under 18 level, the players will be deprived of a proper occasion and atmosphere.
Security concerns over rival supporter groups will have been a factor in the decision not to open the stands, but it is a call that has left plenty of fans, very disappointed.
No compromise
Recently in England, a bumper crowd piled into the Emirates Stadium to watch West Ham beat Arsenal in the FA Youth Cup final.
A proper event, with a healthy crowd providing an appropriate backdrop for the occasion but unfortunately, that won’t be the case in Scotland tonight with the turnstiles locked.
The Old Firm rivalry will have been displayed had the game been open to all, with a guaranteed take-up from the ultras groups to provide a headache for the authorities as much as a vibrant atmosphere of colour and noise for the players.
Clearly, the Scottish FA and the police don’t want that. There can be no other conclusion.
As much as you can see the rationale, why not make a compromise and give the clubs a limited allocation to distribute to supporters clubs and season ticket holders? It’s a bonkers decision to do almost nothing.
It will be a cup final in name but not much more in a massive arena with very few people inside.
In other Rangers news, Chris Jack has identified this multi-million Ibrox candidate for a key sale this summer