THE fortunes of the Old Firm are proving of concern as far south as Suffolk as Rooney Anand, chief executive of Greene King, said he would like to see Rangers Football Club promoted back to the top flight so the brewer and pubs chain could benefit from increased business on derby days.

Greene King, owner of Dunbar-based Belhaven, reported a strong year with a 6.6% increase in pre-tax profit to £162 million for the 52 weeks to April 28 as it saw a 2.3% rise in like-for-like sales.

The earnings increase came despite continued cold weather muting demand at its pubs, 90% of which have outside areas, as well as the continued economic malaise.

It now faces a summer with no major sporting event that can compare to last year's Olympic Games to give it a boost.

Mr Anand said: "Conditions are still pretty tough both in terms of the economy but also because in the last 12 months, even by British standards, we have been the beneficiaries, in inverted commas, of some pretty disappointing weather."

Greene King runs 300 pubs in Scotland and last year spent £1.6m across 43 of them to expand dining spaces and kitchens as it continues to target the family dining market.

"Our Scottish estate is performing strongly," Mr Anand said. "Our Scottish pubs have made a pretty good contribution to the Greene King performance."

But he indicated that he would welcome the return of Rangers to the upper tier of the league, something that is at least two seasons away, due to the business created for the pubs trade when the team plays Glasgow rivals Celtic.

Mr Anand said: "It would be great in Scotland to see Rangers get promoted and re-establish a very important fixture."

Greene King has sought to attract more diners to its outlets by increasing the number of what it calls "fresh, home-made dishes" as well as customisation options such as "build your own burger".