Celtic to play Premiership clash LIVE on Sky Sports at 3pm on a Saturday as Hoops end historic TV blackout
HOOPING IT UP Celtic to play Premiership clash LIVE on Sky Sports at 3pm on a Saturday as Hoops end historic TV blackout
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
CELTIC fans will be able to watch their team live in a Scottish Premiership match at 3pm on a Saturday on Sky Sports during the festive period in what's a notable break from the norm.
The Hoops will travel to take on Livingston on Saturday December 27, with a 3pm kick off.
Sign up for Scottish Sun
newsletter
Sign up
2
The Celtic players in the huddle
Credit: Kenny Ramsay
2
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers before the William Hill Premiership match
Credit: PA
But the match has been given a 3pm kick off and will be aired live on Sky Sports, despite the fact that it's directly up against three other Scottish Premiership matches.
One of those is Rangers' home clash with Motherwell, while Dundee take on Falkirk and St Mirren play host to KIlmarnock.
The other two games in the Scottish Premiership that weekend will both be aired live.
The Edinburgh derby between Hibs and hearts has already been published with a 12.30pm kick-off on Sky Sports and will be followed by Livingston v Celtic, live on Sky Sports at 3.00pm.
Premier Sports will show Aberdeen v Dundee United at 5.45pm to complete an unprecedented day of back-to-back televised top-flight Scottish football.
It's unclear exactly at this stage what the ramifications are for the blackout
Under Uefa's article 48, the 3pm blackout applies when 50 per cent of games in the top two divisions kick off at 3pm on a Saturday.
England and Scotland currently the only two countries in Europe who voluntarily sign up to adhere to the restriction.
It has been in force since 1960 and is designed to protect attendances at lower league clubs.
But it's possible that the fact the Championship takes place on Boxing Day and the likely moving of Premiership matches in Europe could allow teams to take advantage of the 50 per cent loophole.
Meanwhile, Aberdeen have officially postponed their Week 3 clash with Dundee Utd to assist them in Europa League playoff action - and Hibs will follow suit when it comes to their meeting with Falkirk if they can make it that far.
Rangers could still do likewise with their week 3 visit to St Mirren, but have yet to confirm if that will be the case - although SkySports have committed to screening that match live.
The SPFL wrote in a statement: "Two of the TV selections in round three are subject to change due to the new policy to assist SPFL clubs in UEFA competition, which allows clubs involved in play-off matches to postpone their round three fixtures, without requiring the approval of their opponents.
"Falkirk v Hibernian has been chosen by Premier Sports for live coverage on Saturday August 23, kick-off 5.45pm, but following a request from Hibernian will be postponed if they reach the play-off stages of the Europa League or Conference League.
"Sky Sports have selected St Mirren v Rangers for live broadcast in round three. The details of that fixture, which remains subject to possible postponement, will be confirmed when it is clear what UEFA competition Rangers will be participating in at the time.
"Dundee United v Aberdeen on Saturday August 23 has today been postponed following a request by Aberdeen, who will be participating in the Europa League play-offs."
Full list of latest confirmed TV selections
Friday August 22
William Hill Championship
Raith Rovers v Dunfermline Athletic
Live on BBC Scotland, kick-off 7.45pm
Saturday August 23
William Hill Premiership
Falkirk v Hibernian
Live on Premier Sports, kick-off 5.45pm
Note: Will be postponed if Hibernian are involved in the play-offs of a UEFA competition
Sunday August 31
William Hill Premiership
Dundee v Dundee United
Live on Premier Sports, kick-off 2.00pm
Saturday December 27
William Hill Premiership
Livingston v Celtic
Live on Sky Sports, kick-off 3.00pm
Saturday December 27
William Hill Premiership
Aberdeen v Dundee United
Live on Premier Sports, kick-off 5.45pm
Tuesday December 30
William Hill Premiership
Motherwell v Celtic
Live on Premier Sports, kick-off 8.00pm
Saturday January 3
William Hill Premiership
Dundee United v Dundee
Live on Sky Sports, kick-off 3.00pm
Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Record
7 minutes ago
- Daily Record
Conor Coady sees Leicester close Rangers escape route as wait for key transfer trigger continues
Russell Martin and sporting director Kevin Thelwell have been keen on the centre-back throughout the summer Boss Marti Cifuentes has dropped a major hint that he wants to keep Conor Coady at the club amid interest from Rangers. The defender has been a target at Ibrox all summer - with both the Scottish Premiership giants and Coady had keen to make a deal happen. The England cap had been keen to link up with Russell Martin in time for the Champions League qualification double-header against Panathinaikos. However, he has remained with the Foxes following the arrival of Cifuentes as they prepare for the English Championship campaign after Premier League relegation. The 32-year-old has remained as captain going into the new season - and was handed his first 90 minutes of pre-season during the 3-1 defeat to Cologne. With the league opener against Sheffield Wednesday less than two weeks away, Cifuentes admits that the players handed a run-out for the full game are being considered as starters this term. Cifuentes told club media: 'According to where we are in pre-season, it will be a direct competition from day one to see who would be in the starting line-up against Sheffield Wednesday. "It must be a healthy competition between all the players. Today has been a step forward in the right direction in that sense. 'In the first game I wanted to share minutes to give an opportunity to everyone. But today was about as many players as possible getting 90 minutes. It will be very valuable. 'It's not only in terms of approaching the next couple of weeks, but as well for me learning about where we are as a team.' The Leicester Mercury report that Coady will only be allowed to leave the King Power Stadium if the cash-strapped club can find a replacement. The Foxes have yet to make their first signing of the summer with reports south of the border suggesting goalkeeper Asmir Begovic could be coming through the door before a new centre-back. It is noted that an experienced replacement for Coady is on the agenda - but appears to be some way off at this stage of the window. You can get all the news you need on our dedicated Rangers and Celtic pages, and sign up to our newsletters to make sure you never miss a beat throughout the season. We're also WhatsApp where we bring all the latest breaking news and transfer gossip directly to you phone. Join our Rangers community here and our Celtic community here.
Scotsman
7 minutes ago
- Scotsman
Scottish government should call time on unfair footy drink ban
The sale of alcohol within football grounds has long been prohibited, save for hospitality sections. Picture: Stock Adobe It says everything about our society that a rugby fan can enjoy a pint or several while watching Scotland play at Murrayfield; a cricket supporter can drown her sorrows in several large gins if the national team plays badly at the Grange; but a football fan cannot indulge in half a pint of lager during a game, whether watching the national team at Hampden or Hibs at Easter Road. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The law is pretty clear: a football fan cannot carry alcohol into a football stadium; consume alcohol within sight of a football pitch or enter a football stadium under the influence of alcohol. It is even illegal to drink while on 'official' transport to a match, ie a supporters' bus. The ban was imposed in 1981 following the infamous 1980 Scottish Cup Final where Celtic and Rangers fans rioted after the game (Celtic won 1–0 after extra time). And while there have been successive calls for the ban to be lifted in the last 40-plus years, it remains firmly in place. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A pilot project earlier this month involving several clubs, including Stirling Albion, Arbroath and Partick Thistle, proved a big success but it has not persuaded First Minister John Swinney that the national ban should go. He has said he's 'not sympathetic' to changing the law, even though football fans south of the border are allowed to drink. I understand his reluctance. Scots have an unhealthy relationship with drink, with deaths from alcohol at a 15-year high, so any public measure that helps reduce alcohol intake should be welcomed. But bluntly, it smacks of institutional snobbery for rugby fans to be considered fit and proper people to have a pint of IPA at a game, while football fans are not. The game has changed beyond recognition since 1981 and I don't just mean the success of the women's game or the wages of top players. Stadiums are all-seated. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Organised, large-scale hooliganism, which was the curse of the game for a generation, has all but disappeared, and match day is considered by many as a family event. However, while riots in Leith Walk or Gorgie Road may be less likely, online hate has become a feature of the modern game, with sectarianism, racism and homophobia often rearing their ugly head. Former First Minister Jack McConnell, who spear-headed a campaign to end sectarianism during his time in office, has suggested a new code of conduct for clubs linked to a relaxation in the drinking ban. He told a Sunday news-paper that zero tolerance of hate speech and violence could be 'the quid pro quo that ensures the freedom to drink again'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Dr Geoff Pearson, one of the UK's leading experts on football violence, says that looking into ways of permitting alcohol at matches, without increasing the risk to public safety, is a 'sensible move'. And research by the Scottish Football Supporters Association shows that 74 per cent of fans think they should be able to buy alcohol during match days. The majority of fans are fed up being treated like second class citizens, compared to other sports. As the new football season approaches, the Scottish government should call time on this unfair ban.
Daily Mail
7 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
On The Road: Pele, Tiger and Tutties Neuk... memories are made of this as the past and present collide at Falkirk
The theme for this week's meanderings is memory. It takes us to Arbroath and back, it wends though the decades of football, it can be accompanied by a jukebox and includes a reflection of what it was like to play against Edson Arantes do Nascimento, or as he was better known. These adventures were all chronicled in a couple of hours spent at Falkirk Stadium. That, ladies and gentlemen, is Scottish fitba' for you.
