SPL season to be extended

[Penfold]

I don't think AFC agreed to this did they?

 

Don't know about AFC but Celtic and Dundee United both came out as soon as the 2 fixture lists were produced saying they didn not agree to the changes. It seems the SPL can do whatever they want.

 

The SPL could face legal action for extending the season. The league season will finish four days later than planned now that Rangers have reached the Uefa Cup final and players who have incurred losses for cancelled holidays have approached the PFA Scotland, who are taking legal advice. (The Sun)

[BigAl]

All change again by the looks of it.

Huns really are a greeting faced bunch of bastards, as long as we're ok, fuck the rest of you attitude...... and then have the audacity to moan about the country not being behind them

[BigAl]

Ooooppppsss, forgot to paste article

 

UNDER-FIRE SPL bosses were last night on the verge of a dramatic cave-in to help Rangers in their bid for UEFA Cup glory.

 

Record Sport can reveal the astonishing U-turn, which will see the season extended by a full week, should be completed today when executive chairman Lex Gold tables an eleventh hour plan to postpone the Scottish Cup Final.

 

Gold's climbdown, which came about at the end of a day of frantic phone calls and furious rows, will allow the Ibrox club to pull the plug on this Saturday's Ibrox showdown with Dundee United - and give Walter Smith and his players a free week to prepare to play against Zenit St Petersburg for the UEFA Cup in Manchester on May 14.

 

But it will also enrage Celtic who fear their title defence could be wrecked by giving Rangers more breathing space.

 

The dramatic new twist came at teatime last night when Gold and secretary Ian Blair found themselves under pressure from SFA president George Peat as well as Rangers chief executive Martin Bain.

 

Peat was all set to march into the SPL's offices first thing this morning and insist the league be extended to help Rangers get ready for their date with destiny against Dick Advocaat's side.

 

Both Peat and SFA chief exceutive Gordon Smith believe it would be grossly unfair to force Rangers into playing a crucial league match just four days before they attempt to make history at the City of Manchester Stadium.

 

Peat told Record Sport: "We should be doing everything in our power to help a Scottish club win in Europe."

 

Now Peat will have to agree to put back his organisation's own end-of-season showpiece, Rangers v Queen of the South at Hampden.

 

But sources close to the talks are sure a deal can be struck and expect Gold to make an announcement this afternoon.

 

It seemed far off yesterday at lunchtime when, Record Sport can reveal, Rangers had a request to postpone Saturday's game turned down flat.

 

This sparked fury from Bain who demanded Gold think again. Then, when it became clear the SFA were about to wade into the argument and take Rangers' side, it emerged Gold and Blair were beginning to wobble on their previous hard-line stance.

 

Rangers had been hoping the SPL would follow the lead set by the Russian authorities who have bent over backwards to assist Advcocaat in his quest to land a European prize.

 

But the the SPL stood firm, demanding Smith's team face United as planned - four days before the game in Manchester.

 

SPL spokesman Greg Mailer said: "The SPL has decided that we will be pressing on with the fixture model which was announced on April 22, with the season to finish on May 22.

 

"We can confirm we have received a request from Rangers to postpone their fixture with Dundee United on Saturday. We are unable to do that for a number of different factors one of which is the need for the final round of league matches to be played with simultaneous kick-off times.

 

"This is necessary to ensure that no one club can gain an advantage over another club in terms of winning the championship or qualification for Europe through the UEFA Cup."

 

But just hours later, as the pressure mounted, league bosses cracked and informed Rangers they were examining a compromise.

 

That plan will see Gold ask the SFA to reschedule the Cup Final for May 31.

 

However, this is guaranteed to spark further controversy as by then First Division minnows Queen of the South would have been idle for five weeks.

 

Celtic are sure to be spitting feathers also over yet another delay to the season.

 

Parkhead chief executive Peter Lawwell was furious at the initial extension of just four days, which was made to assist Rangers' Euro run.

 

Celtic might even consider a legal challenge to this latest act of goodwill towards their rivals.

 

Gordon Strachan's side are seven points clear at the top of the table but Rangers have three games in hand.

 

Understandably, Celtic had been hoping for Rangers to trip up amid the fixture congestion.

 

However, the SFA are adamant everything possible should be done to assist Smith's men in their bid to become only the fourth Scottish team to win a European trophy.

 

Peat said: "It's not important that it's Rangers. What matters is that this country has to help one of its own clubs succeed in such a big arena.

 

"The SPL should be turning somersaults because a Scottish club are in a European final and must reconsider the decision not to postpone Saturday's match."

 

Ex-Rangers boss Advocaat even expressed his amazemant that the Scottish authorities wouldn't help own of their own clubs but the SFA are out to put that right.

 

Peat added: "The Dundee United match can be moved and should be moved.

 

"We should all be doing our utmost to ensure the Scottish club's chances of winning in Europe are enhanced.

 

"I don't understand why it should be any other way. I really don't see why they can't move this game.

 

"The SPL have to tell the SFA when they will finish their season and we agree to that so we can then agree to a further extension.

 

"We have to accept these are exceptional circumstances.

 

"We have a Scottish club in a European final and if we can't help them there is something wrong.

 

"It would be exactly the same if it were Celtic, Aberdeen, Hibs, Motherwell, Dundee United, any of the others.

 

"There is an opportunity here to improve the Scottish profile.

 

"Everything possible should be done and that's what we'll be telling the SPL in the morning."

 

Rangers were staying tight lipped last night, although Bain is hopeful the saga will finally be resolved today.

 

 

[Kowalski]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_prem/7384698.stm

 

SPL rejects Rangers' fixture plea

 

The Scottish Premier League has rejected a request by Rangers to have Saturday's fixture with Dundee United at Ibrox postponed.

 

Rangers want more time to prepare for their Uefa Cup final appearance against Zenit St Petersburg next Wednesday.

 

A spokesman for the SPL said: "We have not been able to agree to that request.

 

"Postponing would have a knock-on effect. We would have to move all the top-six fixtures to end the season with the teams playing at the same time."

 

Rangers are already facing a fixture pile-up between now and the end of the season with Walter Smith's side still to play five SPL fixtures and a Scottish Cup final against Queen of the South in addition to their clash with Zenit in Manchester.

 

The Russian side have been given permission to postpone some of their domestic league matches and will not play another game before they face Rangers on 14 May.

 

After Rangers' goalless draw against Hibernian at Easter Road on Sunday, which began a run of eight games in 21 days for the Govan club, Smith was critical of the SPL for not offering them any help to prepare for their first European final in 36 years.

 

But despite the league's refusal to move Saturday's match, it is understood that SPL executive chairman Lex Gold and the Ibrox club are still trying to find a solution.

 

Rangers confirmed to BBC Scotland that their request had been rejected but have so far refused to comment further, stating that a Scottish national newspaper has exclusive rights to their reaction.  

[Jute]

Peat and Smith two well known Huns at the SFA helping Rangers. What a surprise. Where was the help for us earlier in the season.

[mizer]

Peat and Smith two well known Huns at the SFA helping Rangers. What a surprise. Where was the help for us earlier in the season.

 

Exactly! 

[BigAl]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_prem/7384698.stm

 

 

 

Fuck them 

[Kowalski]

 

Fuck them 

 

However, the story now says they could move the Scottish Cup final:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_prem/7384698.stm

[Sharpie]

If they moved the final back more than a day that would put Queen of the South at a disadvantage. They already have a few weeks idol before the final as it is.

[Holyjoe]

If they moved the final back more than a day that would put Queen of the South at a disadvantage. They already have a few weeks idol before the final as it is.

 

Pop Idol?

 

Billy Idol?

 

[Sharpie]

Pop Idol?

 

Billy Idol?

 

 

Bastard! 

[Guest swaddon]

It's their own fault, they thought they could pick and choose their fixtures when they asked to postpone the Gretna game to prepare to play Lyon. If Rangers think they are a big club, they should act like one, I don't recall any other big club in any other league postponing a game against, with all due respect to Gretna, the worst side in the league.

 

A club the size of Rangers should have a squad big enough to fulfil all these fixtures they have to play, and a manager who is supposedly as good as Walter Smith should be able to rotate a squad effectively so that they don't get knackered playing so many games.

[Mackie's ace!]

Agreed.

 

I had a Hun telling me that the fixture build up was due to groundsharing agreements being allowed in the SPL and that because this didn't happen in England and the better weather the further south you go that's why Man Utd and Chelsea weren't getting games postponed for the CL. I soon pointed out they hadn't had a game cancelled due to the Motherwell pitch (or have they?). And that nowhere north of Glasgow postponed any games because of weather.

[sheep_shagger]

Agreed.

 

I had a Hun telling me that the fixture build up was due to groundsharing agreements being allowed in the SPL and that because this didn't happen in England and the better weather the further south you go that's why Man Utd and Chelsea weren't getting games postponed for the CL. I soon pointed out they hadn't had a game cancelled due to the Motherwell pitch (or have they?). And that nowhere north of Glasgow postponed any games because of weather.

 

Think that you're spot on. Think the other Motherwell game is because of the CIS cup final and St.Mirren is the only one because of the weather.

 

Though why are you not studying 

[Guest swaddon]

Agreed.

 

I had a Hun telling me that the fixture build up was due to groundsharing agreements being allowed in the SPL and that because this didn't happen in England and the better weather the further south you go that's why Man Utd and Chelsea weren't getting games postponed for the CL. I soon pointed out they hadn't had a game cancelled due to the Motherwell pitch (or have they?). And that nowhere north of Glasgow postponed any games because of weather.

 

Tell this hun mink that Wimbledon and Crystal Palace shared a ground for years, and there were no problems with fixture congestion as far as I remember. Internazionale and AC Milan share a ground, and there's no bother there with fixture congestion.

[TENEMENTFUNSTER]

Tell this hun mink that Wimbledon and Crystal Palace shared a ground for years, and there were no problems with fixture congestion as far as I remember. Internazionale and AC Milan share a ground, and there's no bother there with fixture congestion.

 

As do Munich 1860 and Bayern, Torino and Juventus, Genoa and Sampdoria . . . .

 

Just had the utter displeasure watching that utter fawning cunt Young on television once again masquerading as some kind of journalist.

 

Nothing like unbiased reporting of the facts as they are.

 

Absolutely no-one in the media seems prepared to examine why Rangers are in the position they are, instead concentrating on the CURRENT group of games they have.

 

In fact, the only one who made a reasonable contribution was Smith himself. "That's our season, we'll get on with it".

 

[rocket_scientist]

 

In fact, the only one who made a reasonable contribution was Smith himself. "That's our season, we'll get on with it".

 

 

At the start of next season, if you offered any right minded and ambitious manager the following, I think they would all take it: -

 

"How about getting to every final, and having a fixture congestion as a result"?

 

What else can they say? "Well actually, lets get knocked out of this one so it doesn't happen".

 

Get fucking on with it.

 

[TENEMENTFUNSTER]

At the start of next season, if you offered any right minded and ambitious manager the following, I think they would all take it: -

 

"How about getting to every final, and having a fixture congestion as a result"?

 

What else can they say? "Well actually, lets get knocked out of this one so it doesn't happen".

 

Get fucking on with it.

 

 

Absolutely. Were it AFC in the final I'd want the United game called off.

[Guest bloo_toon_red]

Rangers have no right to moan about this fixture extension.  The SPL and SFA has bent themselves double and taken it up the arse on more than one occasion this season for them.  Off the top of my head I can think of three such instances, all before the bad weather call-offs.

 

Firstly there was the preposterous decision for the SFA to ask for the call-off of games involving the Old Firm prior to the Italy match in November.  For the good of the national team perhaps but I knew at the time that this would have implications far beyond this one week.

 

Then came the postponement of their (Rangers) game with Inverness (or was it Gretna?) before their CL game with Lyon.  Again, it proved to be futile as they were unceremoniously papped out.

 

Then came the decision to postpone the new year Old Firm game in the wake of Phil O'Donnell's death.  Tragic though that was, a decision should've been taken to postpone all games (or none at all - an "all or nothing" situation if you will) that day, rather than just the ones involving Motherwell and Celtic.  Level playing field and all that - the exact thing the SPL are now trying to promote.  Had all games been postponed that weekend, then a decision could've been taken then to extend the season rather than the "chaos" that we see now.

 

Added to that the intangibles of Rangers requiring replays to overcome both Hibs and Partick Thistle in the cup and the postponed games with Motherwell and St Mirren due to the weather and you can see that the SPL/SFA/Old Firm have been incredibly short-sighted in choosing (and that's the operative word here) to postpone three games earlier in the season without any real cause.

[sheep_shagger]

By saying all or none are you including Motherwell in this? Surely not but got to check....

[Guest bloo_toon_red]

By saying all or none are you including Motherwell in this? Surely not but got to check....

 

I'm not saying that they should've been made to play - quite the opposite in fact.  What I mean is that in the interest of fairness to all in the longer-term, all games probably should've been postponed that week.  Easy to say in hindsight, but therein lies the problem in the first place with SPL/SFA - "act now, ask questions later".

[Mackie's ace!]

The only game cancelled because of the weather was St Mirren.

 

Motherwell was CIS semi final weekend as mentioned. And it was v. Gretna, the shitest team in the league.

 

And I wasn't studying at 13.02 on 06/05/08 as I was very possibly having a lunch break before my last university exam.