Celtic have been drawn against The Rangers in the Scottish Cup semi-final. The prize for the winner will be a place in the final for the showpiece end of season event.
With the draw now made, all eyes turn to what date the game is likely to be played on.
It’s already been confirmed the game will take place on the final weekend of April which is the 29th or 30th.
Although yet to be confirmed, it appears probable that the game will be scheduled for Saturday to accommodate a significant charity event taking place in the city on Sunday.
The annual Kiltwalk from Glasgow to Loch Lomond is set to commence on a Sunday morning at the end of April. Thousands of participants are expected to embark on the journey by foot, converging in Glasgow for the event. As with previous years, there will be significant road closures and police presence to ensure the safety and smooth execution of the event.
Celtic’s Carl Starfelt in action with Rangers’ Fashion Sakala REUTERS/Russell Cheyne
The possibility of the charity event and the Glasgow Derby occurring on the same day could lead to Police Scotland being overstretched. Consequently, it would be prudent for Viaplay and the SFA to reschedule the game for Saturday instead. They may have no choice but to do so.
The derby has gone ahead before on a Glasgow Derby day, but it was a home game at Celtic Park where resources would likely not be as high during a 50/50 split at Hampden.
Viaplay’s approach to scheduling fixture dates and times has been rather lax since acquiring the rights to the competition, resulting in some nonsensical scheduling. While nothing is confirmed yet, we will have to wait and see how this situation develops.
