“There is a solution, you know, Mr Doncaster,” writes Celtic Historian and author David Potter…
Poor Mr Doncaster! He is the subject of so much vitriol and abuse these days! Sadly, it is deserved, for his crazy, ill-thought out decision to play two semi-finals on the same day at the same ground is simply unacceptable.
The complaints of Aberdeen and Hearts are justified, and among other things that strike me are that Rangers supporters might hang around Mount Florida to exchange less than totally fraternal greetings with Celtic and Hearts supporters. There will also be an issue with bus companies. Bus companies are, by no means, benign friendly people all the time and wish to employ as few people as possible. Are they then going to ask a bus driver to get up early in the morning, drive Rangers fans to the game, bring them back, then more or less turn round with a busload of Celtic fans?
That would be a long shift, and bus divers, often a curmudgeonly, opinionated and awkward bunch with a touch of the persecution complex about them, might say that one trip is enough and refuse to take the Celtic fans!
So, let’s just admit that you have got this one wrong, Mr Doncaster and move on. My solution involves the Celtic v Hearts SPFL game scheduled for Saturday November 3 at Celtic Park. Why not reverse venues and play that SPFL game at Tynecastle on Sunday 28 October at 3.00, while Rangers play Aberdeen in the League Cup semi-final at Hampden on the same day, also with a 3.00 pm kick-off?
Celtic and Hearts would then play in the semi-final at Hampden on Sunday 4 November (not 3 November because Queen’s Park play Annan Atheltic at Hampden that day) at 3.00 pm. It would mean that Celtic have been twice at Tynecastle in the SPFL, and would mean that the SPFL game on 27 February would now be at Celtic Park.
OK, it is not perfect, and somebody will see some form of coercion or discrimination or bias here, but it is certainly better than what he have been offered, which is simply crazy.
David Potter
Not sure if I’d agree with David Potter on this one. The scheduling of the Betfred Cup semi-finals are a mess but are no-where near as important as Celtic winning the League. Giving Hearts a additional advantage of having two successive home league games v Celtic is not something that is likely to be supported by Celtic or indeed the Celtic supporters.
Hearts have already stated that they’ll take half the tickets and don’t care if they don’t sell them all -they’d rather have empty seats rather than give Celtic supporters the chance to attend the game. So Feck them!
The bus problem is of course something that no-one has mentioned and there many be clubs struggling to get a bus booking for the semi-final.
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