Ian Maxwell has claimed that Steve Clarke wasn’t serious when he asked the SPFL to arrange a batch of Friday night fixtures to help Scotland’s preparations for the Euro 2020 play-off semi-final against Israel.
The Scotland international manager isn’t noted for his sense of humour.
Clarke met with SPFL clubs in January and asked if fixtures could be moved from Saturday March 21 to Friday the 20th to assist with preparations for the game against Israel on March 26.
In the last international double-header Clarke picked players from Aberdeen, Hearts, Kilmarnock and Motherwell.
The two Glasgow clubs could be forced to play on Sunday March 22 if they progress to the last 16 of the Europa League but looking for any advantage the Scotland boss asked the SPFL to bring four fixtures forward to the Friday night.
Yesterday it emerged that Maxwell hadn’t formally made a request to the SPFL to follow up his manager’s request, now the SFA Chief Executive has explained his reasoning to the Daily Record:
Steve Clarke’s position all along has been ‘No games on the Sunday’. It was an SPFL meeting to meet the clubs – and it was an off the cuff remark when he mentioned the Friday night. It wasn’t serious. There’s never been a formal request. He’s never asked me or anyone else at the SFA for the games to be on the Friday.
Clarke isn’t likely to be amused when he reads that he wasn’t serious about requesting the Friday night switch.
If Celtic get past Copenhagen in the Europa League they will play on March 12 and 19 in the Round of 16, the weekend of March 29/30 has already been set aside for international football with no SPFL matches scheduled.
It was known in November 2018 that Scotland would be involved in the March 2020 play-off.
Before replacing Stewart Regan, Maxwell was Chief Executive of Partick Thistle, leading them to relegation from the SPFL Premiership at the end of the 2017/18 season.