In an ideal world, ending Scottish football’s season with a huge title showdown weekend involving Celtic, Rangers and Hearts would be a great way to showcase our game.
After Celtic’s defeat at Dundee United, a scenario has been set this season which sees a three-way final day title battle shaping up as just five points separate Celtic from Hearts, and Rangers trail the Tynecastle leaders by three at the top of the Scottish Premiership table.
With seven games left to go, 2012 Scottish Cup winner and Hearts icon Danny Grainger has set out his ideal end to the season, but after the Ibrox chaos that unfolded when Celtic beat Rangers in the Scottish Cup, the SPFL will never allow it to happen.
Will we hunt Hearts down and win the title?
Celtic vs Rangers & Hearts vs Hibs showcase will never happen in the SPFL
A final-day shootout where the league title and city bragging rights are decided in a single, chaotic afternoon would appeal to most leagues throughout Europe.
However Grainger’s dream scenario is unlikely to play out but it didn’t stop the former Hearts man from telling the Daily Record, “If it’s not going to be at Tynecastle, then I would love it to be at Easter Road. Again, that probably adds another bit of pressure to it as well.
“Imagine a final day of Celtic versus Rangers and Hibs v Hearts? That’s a real showcase for Scottish football and an unbelievable day to decide the title.
If Hearts did it there it would be some trip back up to Gorgie, as they did after our Cup Final win.
“It’s an amazing thing and those are the memories. The ones on the pitch are unbelievable but coming down Gorgie Road and all the celebrations with the fans and the parade afterwards, those are the memories that really do stick with you.
“Memories that create history. So winning the league away at your bitter rivals would be unbelievable.”
Why the SPFL would obliterate Grainger’s Celtic vs Rangers scenario
The SPFL are still investigating the Ibrox chaos that unfolded after a Scottish Cup quarter-final, could you imagine the carnage that would happen on a final day Glasgow Derby showdown?
That coupled with an Edinburgh Derby across the other side of the country would present Police Scotland with a logistical nightmare the authorities just could, and wouldn’t want to handle.
If anything, it’s a sad indictment of how our game is organised that the authorities could not club together and facilitate this showpiece end to the season.
Just imagine the coverage this would bring as well as the finance. But sadly, some fans cannot be trusted to behave just as much as the police and the SPFL cannot be trusted to organise it properly.
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