Derby date named in Celtic’s rumoured post-split fixtures

Over the last few weeks the SPFL has been working on their post-split fixtures with just three of the Premiership top six known. 

Over the weekend seven clubs will battle for places in the lucrative top half of the table although St Mirren’s hopes could be over by the time they kick-off against Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s Euro heroes on Sunday. 

There is one fixture that dominates the post-split planning, one that requires maximum notice for the competing clubs, the Police and other authorities. 

With that in mind it makes sense for the two Glasgow clubs to meet at the earliest opportunity which opens up the likelihood of back-to-back derbies with three over a three week period from the start of April. On April 17 the clubs meet at Hampden in the Scottish Cup semi-final.

Those dates should be April 23 or 24.

There is little point in speculating about who else will be in the top six. The current top three are assured their place, Dundee United seem virtually there which gives Celtic a second trip to Tannadice with a third visit to whoever comes out on top of the match between Livingston and Motherwell on Saturday with the Lanarkshire side knowing that a draw would also suit them.