Following yesterday’s SPFL Board meeting, at which it was decided that Hearts’ Betfred League Cup semi-final against Celtic will now take place at Murrayfield Stadium with the other semi-final between Rangers and Aberdeen being held at Hampden later the same day, Celtic Football Club has released the following statement.
“The SPFL Board’s decision not to hold a ballot to decide the venues of the forthcoming semi-final matches is both irrational and discriminatory.
“Celtic recognised there was a genuinely difficult problem to resolve. All we asked for was equity of treatment – in other words, a simple ballot of which game went to which venue, so that all clubs would have a 50-50 chance of playing at Hampden.
“We understand that those bodies consulted, including the police and broadcasters, had no preference whatsoever on which match should take place at each venue and, therefore, there was only one appropriate method of reaching a fair outcome.
“The SPFL Board have been unable to produce logic or reason for turning down our modest request. Instead, they have arbitrarily decided that a chosen game should stay at Hampden and the other should go to Murrayfield.
“The interests of our club and supporters have been subordinated to a diktat from the SPFL board which is as unfair as it was unnecessary.
“Celtic Chief Executive Peter Lawwell was excused from the SPFL board meeting due to the subject under discussion.”
John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.
