Olympic rule could force old firm out of glasgow

[ian1964 10,416]

THE start of next seasonââ?¬â?¢s Scottish Premier League may have to be delayed ââ?¬â?? because Olympic football at Hampden could mean a ban on other sporting events in Glasgow during the 2012 Games.

 

It is also feared that lucrative European matches featuring the Old Firm may have to be played outside Glasgow because of the strict Olympic rules.

 

SNP MSP and former Sports Minister Stewart Maxwell has written to the SPL and the British Olympic Association after it emerged that games may have to be postponed or played elsewhere.

 

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The Olympic Charter states that no other major sporting events can take place in a city hosting an *Olympic event for the period of the Games.

 

Scotland�s national stadium is to host eight Olympic football matches, meaning no other big games could take place between July 25 and August 12.

 

The SPL season would be in its opening weeks during that period, while the Glasgow giants would be set to face Europe�s elite in Champions League and Europa League ties.

 

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The SPL welcomes Mr Maxwell�s comments and we will respond to his letter later

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Spokesman for the SPL

 

The Olympic ban will also hit Manchester, Newcastle, Cardiff and London, with some of English football�s top teams affected.

 

It is also feared the cities involved could suffer an economic blow if the ban is imposed, with sell-out crowds at European qualifiers and league clashes replaced by empty stands at Olympic matches.

 

Last month, it emerged that only 500,000 of the 2.2 million available Olympic football tickets had been sold.

 

This year, the SPL started on July 23, while last yearââ?¬â?¢s champions Rangers start their Champions League campaign tonight against Swedish side MalmÃ?¶ FF ââ?¬â?? games scheduled right in the middle of what will be the ban period next year.

 

A by-law in the Olympic Charter states that coverage of the Olympics ââ?¬Å?shall not be impaired in any way by any other event taking place in the host cityââ?¬Â.

 

Mr Maxwell, an MSP for West Scotland, said: ââ?¬Å?Despite this issue being raised several months ago, supporters are still unclear as to what effect Olympic competition will have on their clubs and the British Olympic Association need to clarify immediately what their position is on other sporting events taking place during the period of the 2012 Olympics.

 

ââ?¬Å?I donââ?¬â?¢t think fans from any team will be happy about having to travel to another city to watch their team compete in premier European competition.ââ?¬Â

 

In his letters, Mr Maxwell said: ââ?¬Å?I believe that this matter requires urgent clarification so that the SPL, police and other authorities involved are given sufficient time to plan for what is required. I would therefore urge you to confirm as soon as possible whether or not Scottish teams will be required to postpone any fixtures during the period when Olympic football matches are being played in Glasgow.ââ?¬Â

 

A spokesman for the SPL urged Olympic bosses to discuss any clash with them and said: ââ?¬Å?The SPL welcomes Mr Maxwellââ?¬â?¢s comments and we will respond to his letter later.

 

ââ?¬Å?The start date for the 2012/13 Clydesdale Bank Premier League season will be fixed towards the end of 2011. If the British Olympic Association has any concerns regarding fixture scheduling these should be discussed with the SPL.ââ?¬Â

 

A British Olympic Association spokesman said they could not comment on the issue yesterday.

 

http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/261111/Olympic-rule-could-force-Old-Firm-out-of-Glasgow