SPL calls off matches ahead of Euro qualifier against Italy

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.