LAST Saturday was a balmy spring afternoon in most of Scotland, yet every one of the premier football grounds was shut and empty, denying the clubs much needed revenue and the fans a chance to enjoy a match in pleasant weather conditions.
Why? It was because Scotland were playing an international at Hampden the following evening and the all-powerful European Football Association has decreed that no fixtures may take place in the top league of every European country on a weekend of international fixtures (“Martin makes his mark from the bench to keep Russia dream alive”, Herald Sport, March 27).
This was to ensure that clubs losing even just one player to the international squad would not be at a disadvantage. There were six Celtic players in the Scotland team, but no others from any other Scottish club.
Surely it would have made more sense to allow other clubs with no players in the international squad to play matches, even if that required some minor rearrangement of fixtures?
Unlike Celtic and Rangers, most Scottish clubs are struggling financially and desperately need to maximise Saturday gate money.
Yet for three or four weekends each year they must play these games on a midweek evening, with smaller attendances and at great inconvenience to travelling fans, many of whom have full-time jobs. Surely clubs not affected by player absences should be allowed to play?
Strangely, in rugby exactly the opposite rule applies, to the great disadvantage of some clubs, particularly Glasgow Warriors.
In the recent seven-week international series, the Six Nations, and in last autumn’s series of friendlies, almost every member of the Glasgow Warriors first team was away on international duty.
Yet the club was required to play matches every week against opponents with perhaps only three or four absentees.
Glasgow Warriors lost almost every one of these fixtures, thus almost certainly denying them a merited place in the top four of the Pro-12 League (“Warriors keep play-off hopes alive with win”, Herald Sport, March 27).
Surely those who run top-level football and rugby should show some common sense and come up with a better and more flexible set of rules?
Iain AD Mann, 7 Kelvin Court,
Glasgow.
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