Iain Blair: Last News

It’s almost 14 years ago now but the wounds of the 2008 Rangers fixture row with the SPFL have still not healed.

SPFL fixture architect Iain Blair warned us things could be turned upside down this season when he released the schedule for the final time of his storied tenure after postponing his retirement to help out. He said: "The stress on the SPFL fixture calendar next season is going to be enormous,""There is a very real risk that several teams will be forced to play four matches in eight days - and perhaps more than once - which would be a nightmare for players and fans alike." And that alarm bell is ringing true now as you look at the Premiership table heading into 2021 with Rangers being 16 points clear of Celtic the standout.

Hibs that left Easter Road bosses furious. The New Year match at Parkhead has been rearranged from Saturday, January 9 to Monday, January 11 but the Edinburgh club insisted they had not agreed to the change.

Scottish Cup Final will not be the final fixture of next season.The Hampden showpiece has been pencilled in for the weekend beginning May 8 in line with UEFA 's Euro 2020 stipulations.Scotland's national stadium will host fixtures at next summer's rearranged tournament and must be kept free of football for "a considerable period" before June 11.That means the Scottish Cup Final, traditionally the last game of the campaign, will take place before the end of the league season - according to SPFL secretary Iain Blair.A similar scenario was set for 2019/20 before football in Scotland was halted by the coronavirus pandemic. Get all the latest Sports news sent straight to your Inbox every day by signing up to our newsletter.We cover every morsel