Booth angered by City’s crucial fixture pile-up

GLASGOW City head Scott Booth says men’s clubs which complain of congested fixtures have it easy compared with his side.

City face having to play six games in the next three weeks – including two Champions League ties against Barcelona, an SSE Scottish Women’s Cup semi-final, and two league games, one of them a title decider.

The first in the run is tomorrow at Forthbank when Booth’s side meet Hibernian in the Scottish Cup. If they win the semi they will end their season with the final at Firhill on November 4.

City attempted to have their title decider, also against Hibs, a week on Sunday moved to another date, but the request was turned down by league management committee. The Scottish champions travel to meet Barcelona in the first leg of their last 16 tie in between the two games.

Booth’s frustrations mirror those of Neil Lennon, who described Hibs men’s team having to play eight games in December as “crazy”.

The City head coach said: “Not getting the league game re-arranged is very much unfair, but what we expect. We don’t get much help in these situations.

“It’s to everyone’s benefit when a Scottish club is doing well in the Champions League. It means our co-efficient goes up, and it could help two teams getting into Europe.

“That is something that has to change going forward. It doesn’t matter whether it’s us or some other club constantly involved in cup semifinals and finals and league deciders.

“Whoever that team happens to be, they need a bit of help.”