Are Rangers right to request fixture rejig? And the potential reason why Celtic clash not first post split game

The last time Rangers reached a European final the build-up was dominated by a bitter row over fixtures.

And as the Ibrox side stand 180 minutes away from repeating their 2008 feat there is another scheduling storm brewing.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst revealed the club are in talks with the SPFL over the possibility of switching their final league Old Firm derby of the season.

Rangers are due to travel to Parkhead on May 1 which is sandwiched between both legs of their Europa League semi-final against RB Leipzig.

The post-split fixtures were released on Monday and Gers appear to be unhappy that the derby clash was arranged for game number two when it was known they would potentially be in European last four tie.

It could also be a title decider depending on results in the first game after the split with the Light Blues travelling to Motherwell and Ange Postecoglou taking his men to Ross County.

And in the latest edition of the Record Rangers podcast, our team debate the move by the SPFL and ask why it wasn’t scheduled for the weekend of April 23/24 -the first game after the split.

One suggestion is that the UCI Track Nations Cup takes place at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome just a goal kick from Parkhead.

Gavin Berry, Andy Newport and Scott McDermott sat down to discuss the big talking point on the eve of Van Bronckhorst revealing Rangers had made their request.

Andy: “Who can work out the SPFL? We have been perplexed by so many decisions they have made down the years.

“There’s a major cycling event at the Emirates Arena across the road from Celtic Park on the same day (as the first game after the split).

“It’s been suggested that could be one of the factors and police officers could already have been committed to that.