7 May 2008'We can't help you,' SPL tells Rangers

Football Clubs News | Football Leagues/ Association and Governance

The Scottish Premier League has said that it cannot help Rangers by extending the domestic season to give the Glasgow club more time to prepare for the Uefa Cup Final.

Rangers failed in a bid to have the league game against Dundee United on Saturday May 10th moved to ease fixture congestion ahead of their big tie against Zenit St Petersburg on Wednesday May 14th

Scottish FA chief executive Gordon Smith also confirmed that the Scottish Cup Final, which will be contested between Rangers and Queen of the South, will go ahead as planned on Saturday May 24th.

It will be a busy time for Rangers chairman Sir David Murray as his club chases silverware, but he took time out to criticise the SPL decision by saying: "Throughout the world, people will laugh at this decision."

Zenit St Petersburg will not play another game till the Uefa final after their football federation ripped up its fixture list.

But Rangers manager Walter Smith, who walked out on Scotland to retake the Ibrox job, is putting a brave face on the fixture pile-up. His side were held 0-0 in a league game at Hibernian last Sunday but he refused to blame fatigue for the result.

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