Hampden

By FOS Editor
February 28 2011

The SPL today have announced that next season will start on 23rd July in a move to help ease fixture congestion, but allow an opt out!!

This is the first of the moves that could revolutionise Scottish football with the games starting earlier likely to help on a couple of fronts, better pitches for longer, less midweek games and therefore an easing to any late season fixture congestion.

But bizarrely in a move that appears to pander to the Old Firm the teams will be allowed to opt out for one early season weekend to play in a money spinning friendly!

This allows Celtic to travel to Dublin for a money spinning tournament on the second week of the season. This seems a strange move to me, it not only affects Celtic but what about the team they are due to play that weekend? What if the team they are drawn to play that week is Rangers will they change their mind and decide to play it.

Once again a great idea has been compromised and looks to be a decision taken only to accommodate the Old Firm rather than for the greater good of the Scottish game.