LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 09: SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster and cinch CCO Robert Bridge pose for photographs to announce cinch, the UK’s fastest-growing online used car marketplace, as new title sponsor of the SPFL, in a five year deal that will run until the 2025/26 season. The long-term agreement, which will span all four divisions, represents the largest title sponsorships deal in the SPFL’s history, on June 09, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by John Phillips/Getty Images for cinch)
Neil Doncaster has vowed to do everything he can to help the homeless outfit from Ibrox.
A week after confirming that their home stadium won’t be available at the start of the season there has been no updates about where home games will be staged.
Earlier this year there were plenty of statements being issued about the pitch at Dens Park but when it comes to Ibrox there seems to be a vow of silence.
Other than blaming a rogue ‘Asian supplier’ there has been no detail on when Ibrox will be back open for matches or where home matches will be staged.
Typically the SPFL are giving special treatment to their newest member with a reluctance to treat the club formed by Charles Green in the same way as others. Dundee were fined for being unable to stage home matches at Dens Park.
? New season excitement
? Record TV viewing figures
?? Ibrox work delay impact
? Old Firm crowds returning
?? Matches played abroad?SPFL CEO Neil Doncaster speaks to Sky Sports News on fixture announcement day! ?? pic.twitter.com/11xMwbE06z
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) June 27, 2024
Unfortunately these things do happen. I used to run a club and we had to build a stand, I worked very closely with the league to ensure our fixtures went ahead with only three parts of the ground available.
Now the fixtures are out we’ll be liaising with Rangers. Obviously they’ve got a far better handle on the works than we do and we’ll do our best to work with them to try and get them through what’s clearly a difficult situation.
We’ve been very impressed with the way the new chairman John Bennett has tried to strengthen relationships across the game and we’ll certainly be looking to work with him and his team to be as flexible as we can be whilst being fair to everyone else.
Motherwell and Ross County are scheduled to play at Ibrox in August but it seems clear that an alternative venue has to be found.
With the Ibrox factor removed it is clearly beneficial for clubs if they have that fixture scheduled for as early as possible in the season.
While Doncaster does his best to help out UEFA will apply their Rules in the same way to all clubs.
Murrayfield can be used for one or two Champions League qualifiers followed by a switch to Ibrox for group stage matches but if Murrayfield is used for one group match all four ‘home’ matches will have to be played there even if Ibrox is back in use.
While the messengers focus on August fixtures it seems that the most likely date for Ibrox to reopen is in October which is well into the group phase of the new look UEFA competitions.
“Now the fixtures are out we’ll be liaising with Rangers. Obviously they’ve got a far better handle on the works than we do.”
They haven’t even told him the extent of the problem and he probably hasn’t asked but he is willing to shaft every other club to help.
RULES!! They dont play the fckn rules. All other clubs take note.
i dont believe for one second that they have not been discussing this shambles before today.
It’s a pity he did not try and help Dundee wen mother nature decided to void her bladder their park,, the whole media a press went into overdrive to punish them of something that was in part out of their contour and not of their own stupidity as is the case across there,,
whats happening at ibrox is it to do with asbestos i havnt got a car so cantget to edin burgh as ive nowheels so cant travel to edinburg
Doncaster knows if he doesn’t play ball he’ll be on the end of some nasty and sinister threats.
“Yeah, Look I’d Never Say ‘Never’ … !” Bling!
Play their Home Matches on Playstation.
Ipox Rules, though!
For a lawyer, Doncaster’s opening sentence in the above quote is woefully inadequate:
“Unfortunately these things do happen…”
No.
It wasn’t a freak weather event, covid or anything unpredictable which caused this mess.
It was the sevco Board which took the decisions which caused this mess.
A mess which doesn’t just affect sevco, but the whole SPFL,
and potentially more SPFL clubs in the cup[s] ?
sevco deserves nothing.
Just like the old club: creating havoc across Scottish football,
and then expecting / demanding that everyone else bends to the ibrox club’s needs!
The gift that keeps on giving,when they eventually get back to playing at ipox the appropriate music to play as teams come onto the pitch should be the music from benny hills programmes