With Hearts chances of playing top-flight football next season looking less and less likely, the potential for at least one Edinburgh derby to be played in this calendar year remains.
The pair were drawn together in the Scottish Cup semi-final but after football was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the hugely anticipated match was called off.
The SFA have always insisted that the Scottish Cup games would be played and whilst the desire remains to have fans in attendance at the national stadium, chief executive Ian Maxwell is wary that both semi-finals may have to be played in front of reduced crowds or perhaps behind closed doors.
He told Sky Sports: “Ideally we want to play them in front of supporters.
“If it becomes apparent that we are not going to be able to get significant numbers of supporters into stadiums for a period of time then we’re going to have to make a decision on playing matches because the matches are important.
“It’s our flagship event and we want to finish it.
“It’s unknown, if we thought we could wait until later on in the year and that would guarantee us a number of supporters in the stadium then great, everybody would look forward to that. If that’s not going to be the case then I’m sure we will get the games played somehow.”
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.
