GREEN LIGHT? FANS’ DERBY HOPES

SCOTTISH football supremo Neil Doncaster reckons fans WILL be allowed into Parkhead when Celtic meet Steven Gerrard’s Ibrox side in the Premiership on October 17.

The first two months of season 2020/21 will be played behind closed doors with the nine-in-a-row champions due to play Hamilton Accies on Flag Day in the east end of Glasgow on Sunday, August 2.

Scottish Government restrictions will remain in place for at least the first two months of the new campaign.

However, Doncaster is hopeful there will be a limited numbers of spectators allowed in to Celtic Park for the first Glasgow derby of the term. The SPFL chief executive admitted he expects the fans be given the green light.

Asked if supporters would be there, Doncaster, speaking to the Scottish Sun, answered: “We certainly hope so. But we are in a situation where we are not even allowed to play friendly games, never mind competitive games.

“We are waiting on Scottish Government approval, which will hopefully be forthcoming shortly, for friendly games and then the commencement of competitive matches on the first of August.

“We are working with the Scottish Government on hopefully getting fans in as soon as safely possible.

“We have been starved of football for four months and we have seen leagues across Europe returning, in some cases with quite a few fans inside the stadium.

“We are working closely with the government with the plan for friendlies to return very quickly, the game resuming competitively on August 1 and fans returning as soon as is safely possible.”

Ironically, Neil Lennon was preparing his title winners for a game at Ibrox on Sunday March 15 when football went into cold storage.

The Hoops were 13 points ahead in the league at the time with only eight games to go.