Rangers and Celtic left facing awkward stick or twist fixture dilemma after major SPFL rule change

IT’S something the hierarchies at Rangers, Celtic and other Scottish Premiership clubs have long been publicly demanding of league bosses: give us more help in Europe.

Well, now they’ve given that help – and the 2025-26 season promises to be the acid test of how it works in practice.

That’s because league bosses quietly introduced a new rule this season which allows all teams involved in European playoff round clashes to request postponements of their Scottish Premiership matchday 3 clash on the weekend of August 23/24.

But with that fixture falling just seven days before the first Old Firm match of the season, it remains to be seen whether Rangers or Celtic take them up on it.

It’s no co-incidence why the rule has come into force this season – with both halves of the Old Firm needing to get through the playoff round if they are to reach the Champions League after drops to Scotland‘s coefficient meant the loss of an automatic spot.

Hibs, Dundee Utd and Aberdeen, of course, could all take advantage of the rule too – with perhaps the safest bet all season being that Jimmy Thelin’s Dons (already in the Europa League playoffs) choose to postpone their matchday 3 clash that weekend AGAINST Dundee Utd.

Hibs, too, could see merit in pushing their trip to Falkirk back if they can make it past FC Midjyjtlland to reach that far.

We already know for sure that Celtic will be involved in the Champions League playoff round on the Champions Path, giving them a game on either the Tuesday or Wednesday that week ahead of the Old Firm.

The situation with Rangers is more complicated.

While they too will still hope to be riding high in the Champions League qualifiers – where they likes of Benfica or Club Brugge are potential opponents – they could also end up in a Thursday night clash in the Europa League or even Conference League playoffs that week.

Alternatively, were they to WIN their opening Champions League qualifier vs Panathinaikos then LOSE – they could be spared the chore of a playoff round clash altogether and drop straight from the UCL 3rd qualifying round direct into the Europa League groups.

But after today’s fixture reveal, we now know what both sides will face on matchday 3.

And on the face of it Rangers have been handed a far tougher fixture, away to St Mirren in Paisley.

Over to Russell Martin then to decide whether he thinks it serves his team’s interests better to postpone their trip to Paisley in order to prioritise his team’s prep for a potential playoff round clash.

Celtic will surely fancy their chances of taking care of Livingston at home even if it means making a number of changes due to their European commitments.

Depending on what happens in the early part of the season Martin, therefore, must weigh up the possibility of dropping three points behind Celtic at this stage of the campaign – particularly with the first Old Firm game of the season just a matter of days away.

Dropping a distance behind the Hoops so early in the season will be something he won’t want to contemplate.