Drone footage of Hampden suggests that the National Stadium is far from ready to host SPFL Premiership football on August 10.
Yesterday in a statement that stated virtually nothing John Bennett announced that talks with the SFA were at an advanced stage over taking the 2012 Ibrox Tribute Act to Hampden with no timeline over when Ibrox will reopen.
Queens Park have been shunted across the road to the City Stadium until September but it seems that the SFA has a cunning plan for between three and five matches to be played on Hampden during August.
Following the recent Pink concerts the Hampden pitch was dug up and reseeded, that process takes six to eight weeks to complete in normal weather and was scheduled to be ready a week before Scotland face Poland on September 5.
If an agreement is struck between the SFA and Bennett they will need to move quickly to abandon the reseeding and replace it with a lay and play surface provided it isn’t being imported from Asia.
Getting that down and settled won’t be straightforward, knitting it all together will be critical with the clock ticking towards the August 10 match with Motherwell and a Champions League qualifier in the midweek before or after.
Having made a mess of the rebuilding of the Copland Road Stand the last thing that the Ibrox board need is to have angry bears sitting in inferior seats watching the Hampden pitch cut up as Cyriel Dessers runs through on goal.
With the Hampden switch expected to run until the end of 2024 the pitch is in for a very heavy workload involving Scotland and Queens Park matches as well as the League Cup semis and final.
On October 15 Scotland play Portugal, on November 15 they play Croatia with both matches at Hampden.
Switch the internationals to Celtic park and charge the SFA the going rate could be a part solution. More income for us.
No to Celtic park being leased to Sevco for any games, as we know what will happen.
I was thinking the same. I wouldn’t be surprised if the international games go ahead at Celtic park as the Hampden surface will surely be unplayable by October/November. Especially as they are going to have to abandon the original hybrid surface plans.
No to huns games at Celtic Park.
They will do as much damage as they can and won’t pay for it.
100% agree.
No Bigotdome to play at now no Hamdump either. It never rains but it pours. Here’s hoping for a thunderstorm then.
A Freedom of Information Act should be enough to see exactly what the SFA are charging sevco for,for the use of Hunden.
That way everything is out in the open and we can see exactly what type favours and tickly handshakes are taking place with these CONMEN.
Memo to Scud Missile,
Failed. FOA doesn’t apply to Private Entities like the SFA.
If it had applied the SFA would have been shut down and the Office bearers jailed years ago.
Memo to Scud Missile.
The FOA does not apply to Private Entities like the SFA.
If it had applied the SFA would have been shut down years ago and the Office Bearers jailed.
I’m sure the man across the water with the NUJ press pass can get to the bottom if it.
If you have shares in member clubs, then surely you are entitled to ask the question or get your club to ask.
Alas most Club Chairmen in The Best Wee Bigoted Country Inra Wurld share a Kultural affinity with the Sevcoo cause and won’t speak out against them. ( They have the unstated promise of advancement on the SFA’s ‘greasy pole’ of advancement to salivate over). They will accept any inconvenience and hold out a Brotherly Hand in assistance.
Other Chairmen who are not so predisposed to accepting The Tribute Act’s chicanery will remain silent for fear of inciting any further the knuckle dragging hordes of Mordor.
Likewise our Board will look the other way as they peruse their latest Bonus Schedule. Tout ça change and all that.
I think I’m right in saying that Bennett has “promised ” a full statement on Monday regarding the Ipox shit show…?
Whether he will actually call it a clusterfuck of epic proportions is up for debate…we shall see.
My brother ( the QS ) is also anxious to see if the sacking of the Project Manger will be elaborated on…or whether he will come clean and admit that no such person existed.
As for them relocating to Hampden…
There are so many problems associated with this…that another clusterfuck of epic proportions awaits around the corner….Not least of which is Bears screaming that they paid £800 for an ST Main Stand seat at Ipox…and now they’re stuck behind the goals at the Sellik end.
As for assistance regarding Celtic Park…??
GIRUY
PS: The SFA and SPFL ( whom the Bears claim that these bodies hate them btw )…are what they are and always have been…Brothers in arms.