The First Minister has ruled out cancelling next Saturday’s Glasgow derby in the wake of pubs across the central belt being closed for 16 days from 6pm tonight.
Traditionally the fixture creates great business for licenced promises with fans flocking to watch the match which will be shown live by Sky Sports with a 12.30pm kick off on Saturday, October 17.
With the shutters coming down on pubs and clubs across Ayrshire, Lanarkshire, Edinburgh and Glasgow the only way to watch the match will be on subscription television.
Visiting other homes is currently banned in the areas mentioned with concerns that supporters will now host house parties in order to watch Celtic take on their city rivals.
The Sun asks FM if she will cancel the ‘Old Firm’ game as they whip up a bevvie frenzy. ‘We have to have a degree of trust in people- don’t have a house party because you can’t go to the pub.’
— Joe McHugh (@videocelts) October 9, 2020
Old Firm WILL go ahead despite house party fears, as Nicola Sturgeon says no plans to cancelhttps://t.co/NknCBzjd5d pic.twitter.com/2NwakeH4Wk
— Scottish Sun Sport (@scotsunsport) October 9, 2020
Celtic’s 50,000 season ticket holders will also be able to watch the match live with the First Minister explaining that while talks were going on with the football authorities no specific mention had been made about the Derby fixture.