SPFL plan talks with Police Scotland to avoid potential Rangers v Celtic double-header
The SPFL plan to hold talks with Police Scotland before setting a date for the final Scottish Premiership clash between Rangers and Celtic, according to The Scottish Daily Mail.
The Old Firm rivals are set to meet in the Scottish Cup semi-final at Hampden on the weekend of April 28/29, and could end up meeting twice in a week should the SPFL schedule their last league clash at Ibrox as the first or second fixture after the top six split.
The authorities prefer that the fierce rivals meet up as early as possible following the league split to avoid meeting up in the same week which could cause potential conflicts with respective fans.
According to the Scottish Daily Mail [15 March, back page & page 68], no decisions regarding the fixture scheduling have yet taken place.
Chaos
To avoid any potential havoc and chaos ensuing between the two rivals after meeting so soon, this is the right decision taken by both SPFL and the police should the talks begin in the coming days.
Both teams meeting so soon doesn't make any sense, considering the rise in rivalry after Celtic's Viaplay Cup final triumph last month.
It would be incredibly sensible to have the league match scheduled well ahead of the League Cup semi-final to avoid any potential conflict.
Such a report just goes to show how fierce and pivotal an Old Firm derby clash given the two club's histories, but also with the Gers looking to exact revenge after their cup final defeat in February. These games are the sort of fixtures that need to be planned properly and well ahead of time, given what's at stake for both sets of fans.
Nonetheless, it is sure going to be another engrossing and intriguing set of fixtures and a chance for Michael Beale to finally make a statement and grab his first win over Celtic as Gers boss.