ABERDEEN manager Derek McInnes has described the treatment of their fans as “really unfair” after the Betfred Cup semi-final against Rangers was scheduled for a Sunday noon kick-off.
The Scottish Professional Football League has scheduled both games for Hampden on the same day – with Celtic facing Hearts at 7.45pm later on October 28 – to get around the problem of the Glasgow clubs’ Europa League duties on the previous Thursday.
Police Scotland decreed that the Aberdeen-Rangers game should be played first but both the Dons and Hearts have argued other options should have been explored with the Pittodrie club describing the decision as “appalling”.
Club confirm dismay over Sunday lunchtime start for League Cup Semi-Final ➡ https://t.co/0G8LzwHVMV#StandFree pic.twitter.com/560GNPo5Ku
— Aberdeen FC (@AberdeenFC) September 27, 2018
McInnes said: “I don’t think we are going to get a perfect scenario. The fact is our supporters are going to have to travel to Glasgow anyway, which is always the case when we get to semi-finals and finals, and we are well used to that.
“But I just feel find it really unfair and I reiterate the statement the club put out.
“For them to try and get there for an early kick-off just makes it all the more problematic. I’m sure that would have been taken into account in the decision-making process but it doesn’t seem to have been important enough.”
The first train service direct from Aberdeen to Glasgow on a Sunday is at 9:24am, but arrives at Queen Street at 12:14pm – quarter of an hour later than kick-off and miles away from the National Stadium.
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