CALLUM: FAN PLAN WORTH THE WAIT
CALLUM McGREGOR reckons holding fire on the Old Firm showdown until fans can get in would be well worth the wait.
The Celtic ace, left, backed his boss Neil Lennon’s call to
FROM BACK PAGE schedule the derby for after a ban on supporters is lifted as it would be diminished behind closed doors.
The Hoops would be expected to head to Ibrox for the first meeting of the new season, although it is likely to be fan-free as the country looks to get to grips with the coronavirus.
But midfield schemer McGregor said: “In Scotland the Celtic-Rangers fixtures are the go-to games. It’s what promotes the product.
“In England people want to tune in and watch these games. It would be fantastic to get a full stadium for them or as close to that as possible.
“It would certainly make sense if they could put them back so we could have the best chance of getting a full stadium. It’s something you would welcome.
“It would be worth the wait. It’s the atmosphere that makes them special. When you play in them the stadiums are rocking.
“That’s what you want to play in – the high-pressure games.
“If it meant there were a few games in the space of a few weeks then it would be a great spectacle for people watching them as well.
“It could make sense if that’s the route they go down.”
German clubs have been piping in crowd noise and English Premier League outfits could follow their lead from tomorrow night’s restart.
McGregor reckons the Scottish game could crank up the PA systems in the short term but nothing beats the real thing.
The 27-year-old added: “I’ve been watching every game I can as there was nothing for a while.
“You can see the progression from the first game until now. They are starting to introduce crowd noise. The Premier League will probably kick off with that in place as well.
“It’s probably a psychological factor for people watching. When you hear that noise it makes you feel like you’re watching a proper game.
“For us as footballers, we just want to be back on the pitch and playing in any capacity. Hopefully it won’t be too long that we are playing closed-doors games.
“We certainly want the fans back in. We know how important a season this is for the club. If we can get the fans in as soon as possible when it’s safe, that will give us a boost as well.
“To get football back in any capacity just now would be the first step and we’d be delighted with that.”
McGregor is desperate for the SPFL to hit their return target as he said: “For a while it seemed very distant.
“But now we have a provisional date of August 1 so hopefully things keep progressing in the right way.”
BY MICHAEL GANNON IT’S a little strange going all old school and changing in the car park but Callum McGregor is just delighted that some things have remained the same at Lennoxtown.
Celtic got back to business this week and set about training at a distance but the midfielder was thrilled to see some familiar faces.
McGregor relished the friends reunited routine but Odsonne Edouard in his Hoops gear was a sight for sore eyes and hearing the Frenchman talking up his commitment to the 10-in-a-row bid was music to his ears.
The frontman is attracting interest from England and all over Europe but after picking up the Player of the Year award last week he admitted his heart is set on staying at Parkhead.
McGregor has no hard feelings about getting pipped to the gongs – and it’s a major bonus to have the striker on board for the next big target. The Scotland star said: “It’s a massive boost to hear he wants to stay. He’s at a massive club just now anyway.
“So I don’t think he should be in too big a rush to go. He’s got a massive platform to show what he can do this season. He won the Player of the Year award last week and is so important to what we are trying to do.
“It’s great news to hear he wants to stay as well. The fact he didn’t go back to France during lockdown speaks volumes in terms of where he’s at mentally. He seems to be happy at the club. We’ve a great changing room.
“Everything we’ve achieved has come through togetherness. Everyone in the building is friends.
“He obviously feels comfortable and he knows he’s playing at a high level. When you are happy in football, it’s a big decision to change that.”
McGregor and Edouard remained beyond arms’ length at Lennoxtown but there was room for a small toast to the title Celtic were awarded in isolation. The playmaker said: “It was nice to see the boys, the staff and the manager.
“It was the first time we’ve been together since the title was confirmed so it was great to get a chat and a bit of a laugh and to feel that sense of
CALLUM McGREGOR IS HAPPY TO BE TRAINING
McGregor won’t complain though. After 12 weeks out, as far as he is concerned it’s better than nothing.
He said: “It’s been great being back in and getting that routine back of being on the grass. I’d not seen some of the lads for a while so it’s been great