Delay Old Firm to get fans in, says Lennon
CELTIC manager Neil Lennon has called on the SPFL to push back the date of next season’s first Old Firm derby to avoid it being played behind closed doors.
The Premiership is aiming for a restart date of August 1 and, if the protocol of recent seasons is observed, the first meeting of Celtic and Rangers will be held in early September at Parkhead.
UEFA are expected to offer guidance on Europe’s football calendar this week, paving the way for the SPFL to finalise its fixture list ahead of an announcement in the next fortnight.
With plans for reduced, sociallydistanced crowds a long way from being resolved, the early weeks and months of the season are likely to be played in empty stadia. Lennon
believes the clubs, authorities and broadcasters should all be keen to avoid having the league’s biggest fixture played in those circumstances.
He said: ‘If that’s the way it has to be, that’s the way it has to be but I do think the authorities will look at it and try and push it back.
‘I think that’s what everyone associated with the game would want. The clubs would want that and I’m sure the TV companies would as well.
‘That will give us more of a chance of getting punters back.’
Lennon welcomed his players back to Lennoxtown in small batches for the first controlled training sessions of pre-season on Thursday as his men adjust to a new normal in the wake of coronavirus.
Having been denied the chance to claim last season’s title on the field of play, Lennon admits the prospect of kicking off the new campaign in front of 60,000 empty seats at Parkhead is not one he relishes.
‘We’re all hoping that will be a short-term thing,’ he said. ‘It’s difficult times for clubs in Scotland. We are not immune to it but we always do our best.
‘We need our fans and the virtual season ticket will give them an opportunity to see the games, even if they can’t be there, which I think is brilliant.
‘Health and safety has to come first but, important as that is, we know what football means to so many people in this country.
‘We have a fantastic product here for the size of the country and it’s important we protect it and get it up and running as best we can.
‘Hopefully in the not-too-distant future we will have supporters and players back in unison again in the same stadiums with the same atmosphere.
‘But maybe as a short-term fix myself and the players will have to adapt to closed-door games.’
This weekend, Spain joined Germany in restarting its domestic football — with England set to follow in midweek.
‘I’ve watched a lot of the Bundesliga games,’ added
Lennon. ‘It was surreal watching Bayern Munich v Dortmund without supporters but the quality of football was brilliant. It didn’t seem to affect the players in terms of what they brought to the game.
‘It’s not what we want, it’s not how we see football. So hopefully it’s a short-term thing.
‘The Bundesliga have led the way through this difficult time and they seem to be coping pretty well with it.
‘We have to look at that and say it’s doable, it’s feasible. But for the sake of the game — and I’m sure it’s the same in Germany and all the other countries — we want the public back in when it’s safe.’