Steve Clarke's plea to scrap top flight Sunday games ahead of Scotland’s Euro 2020 play-off is set to fall on deaf ears if the Old Firm progress in Europe.
Record Sport can reveal that SFA chief executive Ian Maxwell has written to SPFL secretary Iain Blair to formally request that no Scottish Premiership fixtures from the March 21 card are pushed back 24 hours.
But if Celtic or Rangers reach the Europa League last-16 then their games - at home to St Johnstone and away to St Mirren respectively - will have to be switched to the Sunday with the second leg of that round taking place on March 19.
The Hoops have already secured their place in the knockout stage with their rivals on course to join them in the last 32.
Clarke called for help from league fixture schedulers as he looks for support from the nation’s football chiefs ahead of Scotland’s first play-off for a major tournament in 17 years - the country’s most important fixture in a generation.
And, speaking ahead of Saturday’s 2-1 in Cyprus, SFA president Rod Petrie even admitted they would consider asking for the entire card to be postponed in future discussions with their Hampden counterparts.
That would giave Clarke 11 days as opposed to just five to work with his home-based players on the training ground ahead of the semi-final clash, like to be against Bulgaria or Israel, on March 26 before a potential final just five days later.
It’s unlikely the SPFL would agreed to that, however, they will do their best to facilitate Maxwell’s written request for no Sunday games ahead of the play-off semi-final.
But that will depend on talks with broadcasters, which won’t take place until early next year, and the Old Firm’s Euro progress.
A SPFL spokesperson previously said: “We would always be keen to help the national side if possible, but as Steve (Clarke) himself acknowledged, in a very congested schedule any such request is difficult to deliver. In addition, there is a real possibility of fixtures going to Sunday regardless of Celtic and/or Rangers progress in the Europa League.”
Scoland stand just 180 minutes away from ending a 22-year wait to reach a major tournament thanks to a play-off place secured by Clarke’s predecessor Alex McLeish through the Nations League.
