SPL chiefs cave in on Burls' Old Firm plea

Jun 15 2008 By Gordon Waddell

SPL chiefs have given Scotland boss George Burley a massive World Cup boost by bowing to his demand to bin Old Firm fixtures after international clashes.

The manager pleaded for beaks to avoid the big two meeting after qualifiers.

With more than half his squad likely to come from both clubs he feared the kind of mass call-offs that struck his first two friendlies in charge.

But with the Clydesdale Bank fixtures due out tomorrow SPL secretary Iain Blair revealed Burley has won his first fight.

He told MailSport: "George was talking about ensuring we didn't have the Old Firm playing after internationals - and we have certainly done that for the major matches.

"I'm not entirely sure about the international dates where there are no games yet. I think there are friendlies in November and February.

"But we did apply it as a condition to the new company doing our fixtures - Optimal Planning Solutions of Canada - because it wasn't one that was built in to our original model."

The move will appease SFA chief executive Gordon Smith who was also critical of the SPL's lack of flexibility.

But Blair hit back: "Gordon and I had a discussion about fixtures and about the issues of moving individual fixtures around the international games.

"I did offer to take along all 228 of our fixtures on strips of paper and leave them on his desk and see if he could provide a solution but I didn't do that."

The deal with the OPS - who worked for the French League last season and hold massive contracts with Major League Baseball and the NFL - has cost the league a fortune.

But after coming under fierce fire for nightmare fixture congestion at the end of last season SPL chiefs felt they had to find a better formula.