Scotland handed major Old Firm bonus

ALEX McLEISH has been granted his wish after the Scottish Premier League agreed to postpone the matches involving Rangers and Celtic on the weekend before the crunch Euro 2008 qualifier against Italy.

The SPL have called off Celtic’s home match against Falkirk on November 10, and Rangers’ fixture at St Mirren on November 11, and both games will be rearranged for future dates.

Scotland manager McLeish had called for both clubs, from which he draws a significant number of his squad and first-choice line-up, to be given a free weekend.

Scotland face Italy on November 17 at Hampden, and the Old Firm players were facing hectic schedules in the run-up to the game.

Each manager from the four clubs involved agreed to the postponement.

Following a meeting of the SPL board in Glasgow it was decided, for the sake of the national team, to accept the Scottish Football Association’s formal request to call off both fixtures.

It was clear, however, that there was some reluctance on the SPL’s part to postpone the games.

And in a statement released last night, SPL executive chairman Lex Gold revealed the SFA had declined to make a financial contribution to the costs involved in rearranging the games.

Gold said: “It is a matter of considerable disappointment that the SFA has refused to help defray the costs which will be incurred by our clubs.”

A mountain of issues involved in altering the fixture schedule had to be taken into consideration.

Gold said: “Postponing games at short notice is fraught with fairness, inconvenience, broadcasting and cost implications.

“We recognise, in particular, that this decision will inconvenience many fans, thousands of whom have already made travel arrangements to attend the matches.

“Our wish is to do all we can to support the efforts of the Scotland team at a critical point and trust the fans will understand the exceptional circumstances which led us to postpone the matches in question.’’

Players from Celtic and Rangers are approaching the midway point in a hectic run of matches spread over 36 days.

Following yesterday’s decision, that run of games now consists of three Scotland games, three SPL matches, two Champions League fixtures and a CIS Insurance Cup quarter-final.

Crucially though they have the chance to take a breather between the Champions League matches on November 6 and 7 – Celtic at home to Benfica, Rangers away to Benfica – and the Italy match.

Victory against the world champions would assure Scotland of a place in next summer’s finals, but defeat would end their qualification hopes.

A draw would only suffice if France were to lose to Ukraine four days later.