THE SPFL will meet clubs, police and representatives of potential venues this week in an attempt to thrash out the schedule for the League Cup semi-finals, but haven't ruled out playing them at Celtic Park or Ibrox.
While it had been widely assumed Hampden will host both matches - Aberdeen versus Dundee United, and Celtic versus Rangers, on Saturday, January 31, and Sunday, February 1, respectively - the Sunday Herald understands no decisions have been reached on when and where to play the ties.
Hampden's transformation from a Commonwealth Games track and field venue to a fully functioning football stadium should be complete by then. The pitch has been relaid and Queen's Park are due to play matches there from early January.
With Hampden out of commission, last year's semi-final matches were played at Tynecastle and Easter Road, and SPFL clubs may prefer to keep all the funds associated with the matches circulating within the club game.
Whether the league would be prepared to sanction a meeting between Celtic and Rangers at either of their home grounds, albeit with a 50/50 split of fans, however, remains to be seen but if that were to be the case they would at least have precedent on their side.
In 1998, Celtic won a ballot to host an Old Firm semi-final at Celtic Park, receiving 26,000 tickets to Rangers' 22,000. While Rangers won the match 2-1, it was Hearts who won the cup in the end in a final also played at Celtic Park.
The situation is muddied still further by the BBC, who have the rights to screen one of the games live, and an option on the other. In the past, the broadcaster has not been keen to screen both semi-finals on back-to-back days, raising the possibility that one of the matches could even be moved to midweek.
An announcement, one way or the other, could come in the next seven days.
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