Today’s Sun - Celtic, Rangers and SPFL bosses face anxious wait over first Old Firm match as Sturgeon ponders fresh lockdown measures

The club should tell them the fixture gets played. Sporting integrity the fixtures should be fulfilled on the due date they were given by the corrupt SFA algorithm which has already tried it's best to push it further into the future in total randomness of course, and not from the constraints wishlist of feverent yahoos operating at the top level. If they don't we should call the league today as it stands of course even we have a game in hand... Mind that time?
 
Scottish football chiefs face an anxious wait today to find out if the first Old Firm clash of the season will be given the go-ahead.

The threat of governments on both sides of the border imposing a temporary lockdown to co-incide with the October school holidays has raised fears over one of the SPFL's showpiece fixtures.

First minister Nicola Sturgeon and prime minister Boris Johnson will take part in a COBRA meeting this morning - as politicians try to establish how best to correct a worrying rise in the infection rate.

Sturgeon warned yesterday that 'additional restrictions will almost certainly be put in place in Scotland over the next couple of days'. That could mean a two-week 'circuit breaker' lockdown to fall on local October holidays - with fresh restrictions placed on hospitality, hairdressing and entertainment venues.

Universities and colleges could be restricted to remote learning, while travel could be limited to five or 30 miles.

A leaked memo yesterday claimed that no spectators would be allowed in stadia during this period, with 'only low-risk outdoor live events' allowed.

The first Old Firm match of the season falls on Saturday, October 17, the final weekend of the Glasgow school holidays. While fans wouldn't be allowed in anyway, the worry is that the Scottish Government will see even a closed-doors Old Firm clash as a risk that isn't worth taking.

While the league are still keen that the match goes ahead, they have received no guarantees so far. And public health officials are concerned that supporters may gather in large numbers in house parties to watch the game on TV - or even gather near the stadium before and after the match.

Nicola Sturgeon said yesterday: “Any responsible government is looking at a whole range of options. We haven’t reached final decisions yet.”

The memo says that the 'circuit break' could be either "a fixed, standardised 2-week period across Scotland, or a ‘rolling circuit break’ reflecting existing half-term holiday dates across Scotland".

After a full SPFL Premiership card on Friday October 2, any such lockdown could also prove challenging for the Betfred Cup, which gets under way on Tuesday October 6.

Scotland face Israel in a crunch Euro 2020/21 play-off on Thursday October 8, with Slovakia scheduled to visit in the Nations League the following Sunday, then the Czech Republic on the Wednesday.

A full SPFL card in all divisions - topped off by the first Old Firm game of the season is currently scheduled for the weekend of October 17.
 
There is no reasonable argument for the game not to go ahead. Fans weren't allowed in anyway (even though Celtic had it delayed in the hope that they could have some), and the players/staff are tested regularly that it doesn't matter.

I can only assume that if it goes ahead, the powers that be think it will force people to goto the pub or other houses to watch the game when they should be staying away, which is complete bollocks.
 
They will be hoping Westminster kibosh all sporting fixtures or SNP and SFPL are going to look very stupid - again
 
So the concern is people will congregate at pubs/houses and watch it large groups?

That’s hardly a new revelation, what a load of pish
 
This is just the sun being ridiculous . There’s no way the games will be postponed , a two week lockdown will be no travelling to houses , no pubs or hospitality or restaurants, and schools will be off for the week or two . The football will continue unless there is a full and total lockdown similar to the previous one , which I don’t think will ever happen .
 
Pubs are ( in my opinion) not a problem. They can control the numbers who get in and issue tickets
However “ house gatherings” would be more difficult to control.
Can see it being cancelled but Nippy will do what’s best for her
 
There is absolutely no need to stop football during the lockdown. There is no fans and the players are all in a bubble.

Between this and wanting the government to pay off their child abuse victims aslong as they don't sue the club, the SNP know how to get their vote.
 
Making something out of nothing as it stands no fans allowed in and bigger more important games like European finals have been played on that basis.

We all know why the game has been pushed back anyway but no reason not for it to be played unless there is a total lockdown and if the great unwashed wish to gather in hordes outside the piggery then that's for the team and the police to manage.

I thought they and the SPFHL would want the game played at all costs to try and get ahead of us so as they can happily call the league at any time.
 
Folk will gather either way. Worst case scenario they simply don't show the game on tv and we listen on the radio like the old days, then we get the match after the game is finished. No more trying to get their precious hoops a sporting advantage like the "completely random" computer. The club must make a stand.
 
Ffs if they are worried about crowds gathering then shut the pubs on the day of the game and as for folk gathering in houses thats really up to them we need to treat people like adults and hope they do the right thing but the game must go ahead sporting integrity and all that
 
Other big games around Europe have passed off fine.

Just get on with it ffs !!

This backwater thinks it's something special. I've got news for it - it's not !!
 
I’m not convinced we will see fans back in the stadiums in any significant numbers this season so don’t really see what advantage it would give them.

If anything it would help us because half our team is injured and it would add to their fixture backlog
 
If they think that people will congregate in large numbers to watch this game on TV.
Then just don't televise it.
It will be the same people watching the match who have been watching Rangers and Celtc matches previously and after this date, there is no reason to treat this match differently from any others.
The problem is no different for this game, football is either playable or not, if not then the season should be cancelled on H&S grounds.
 
How is the risk of this any different whatsoever to the risk of house parties because the pubs shut at 10pm (or earlier)?

This is 100% being pushed for by Them and it’s clear as day.
 
If our Club don't make a stance on this for the sake of 'sporting integrity' I think I'll be done with football altogether, I'm sick of being shafted by the football authorities for the benefit of one single team and if our Club isn't then quite honestly they don't deserve support.
 
If the game gets delayed that does that mean we don't play one another the rest of the season?
Let's be honest about it there's every chance fans won't be inside stadiums this season.
Fucking farcical as per.
 
If our Club don't make a stance on this for the sake of 'sporting integrity' I think I'll be done with football altogether, I'm sick of being shafted by the football authorities for the benefit of one single team and if our Club isn't then quite honestly they don't deserve support.

If the game is postponed, then Rangers insist that any future re-arranged game is behind closed doors at the Piggery or we get the 3 points. The Piggery Peasants can still have a choice of either.
 
No reason why the game should be postponed unless all football/sport is 'locked down' again.

If it was to get postponed then they'd need to cancel last seasons Scottish Cup and there's no chance of that happening.
Bloody hell I'd forgot all about that. :eek:
 
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