Celtic V. Rangers Postponed Out Of Respect For Tragedy

Celtic FC's match with Rangers this Wednesday, January 2, 2008 has been postponed as a mark of respect for Phil O’Donnell.

Celtic made a formal request for the postponement following the tragic death of the Motherwell captain and former Celtic player at the weekend. And the SPL has confirmed that the fixture has been called off.

SPL Company Secretary Iain Blair said: “These are never easy decisions but we recognize that, as a former player, Phil was part of Celtic’s extended football family.

“After consultation with Rangers, we agreed to postpone the Old Firm fixture on the 2nd of January.”

Speaking earlier today, Celtic Captain Stephen McManus said: “Having met this morning as a group for the first time since Phil's death, the Celtic team, management and backroom staff feel very strongly that our match on Wednesday should be postponed as a mark of our sincere respect for Phil O'Donnell, a great player and a great man.

“A number of our squad have very close connections to Phil's family and feel it would be inappropriate to proceed with this match at such a time, following such a tragic event.

“We understand sincerely the inconvenience and frustration a postponement would cause supporters of both teams, particularly those who travel long distances to games - and we fully respect the views of all fans on this matter.

“However, we feel that this would be the only correct decision. I hope that supporters would understand our position in such circumstances."

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As much as I was looking forward to this match, I believe this to be a class move by the club. The game can wait.

TomC