Why is Rangers vs St Johnstone taking place at 8pm this Sunday? SPFL fixture moved to accommodate other sporting event

Yesterday at 06:22 AM

Rangers and St Johnstone are set to meet this weekend at a very unusual time.

The SPFL game was always going to be on a Sunday due to the Gers’ Europa League participation, but it is set to kick-off at 8pm.

This is set to be a nightmare for both sets of fans, while it’s not ideal for the players either.

However, due to another sporting event in Glasgow, the match has had to be moved.

Why is Rangers vs St Johnstone starting at 8pm?

Rangers‘ 4-1 home defeat to Lyon on Thursday meant this match was always set for Sunday, October 6.

It couldn’t be played on Saturday because there would be too little time between games, while Monday was also out of the question because it’s an international break.

Normally, the game would be played on Sunday anytime between 12pm and 4:30pm.

However, that can’t happen this weekend because of the Great Scottish Run taking place in Glasgow.

The match was originally set for a 3pm kick-off at Ibrox, but due to several road closures around the stadium, that wasn’t possible.

Switching the fixture so that it would be played in Perth was considered, but in the end, they opted for an 8pm kick-off at Ibrox.

The idea is to have the game on the same day at the same location with as little disruption as possible.

However, both sets of fans now face changes to their routines, while the visiting supporters are likely to be back home very late.

In a statement, Rangers said: “Rangers’ Scottish Premiership match with St Johnstone on Sunday, 6 October, has been moved to an 8pm kick-off.

“With the Great Scottish Run taking place in Glasgow that day, many roads around the Southside of the city will be closed until late in the afternoon, making safe and efficient access to the match impossible for a traditional afternoon kick-off.

“Rangers put forward a number of alternative options including an earlier kick-off and a fixture reversal, but all were rebuffed by the other stakeholders involved. Playing on the Saturday is not feasible given our match with Lyon takes place on the Thursday evening, while the Monday evening is also not possible with that falling in the international window.

“The club is fully cognisant of the inconvenience this will cause to many of our supporters, and we share in your frustration at this situation.

“We will continue to engage with stakeholders including public transport providers and Glasgow City Council, and update supporters on access plans and routes closer to the match taking place.

“Following the switch to the Sunday at 8pm, this match has subsequently also been selected for live TV coverage by Premier Sports.”