THE final Old Firm derby of the season will take place on Saturday May 9, the Scottish Premier League have confirmed.
League bosses settled on the date following consultations with both Rangers and Celtic, as well as Strathclyde Police.
The clash – which could yet be a title-decider – takes place at Ibrox and has been given a 12.30pm kick-off.
A statement from
the SPL read: "Following consultations with Strathclyde Police and the heads of security from Rangers and Celtic, the SPL today confirmed that the final Old Firm game of the season will take place at Ibrox Stadium on Saturday, May 9, kick-off 12.30pm."
The fixture was expected to take place immediately after the league split on the weekend of May 2/3.
But it is understood police were reluctant for the game to be played then because of fears over bank holiday violence.
Sunday, May 10 was also ruled out as that is the date of the Glasgow Women's 10k, with the finishing line just a few hundred yards from Ibrox and 12,000 runners expected to take part.
However, the date finally settled on by the SPL could yet pose problems for league bosses, who were determined to avoid a title-clincher scenario.
If Rangers suffer defeat in their next two games, and Celtic win both of their games, the Scottish champions will retain their crown at Ibrox.
The May 9 date also impacts on team selection for both clubs.
Rangers defender Madjid Bougherra is suspended for the first game after the split, meaning he will be available for the Old Firm derby.
But Celtic midfielder Scott Brown is banned and misses the trip to Ibrox.
The full article contains 288 words and appears in scotsman.com newspaper.
