SFA explain Rangers decision

Smith: Could not find solution

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Gordon Smith does not believe the Scottish Football Association had any other option but to turn down Rangers' request for a postponement.

Rangers had wanted to call off their Scottish Premier League clash with Dundee United on Saturday to provide them with a week to prepare for the Uefa Cup final against Zenit St Petersburg.

The SPL rejected the request but the SFA then held a meeting to discuss other alternatives that might help Rangers without leading to more fixture congestion.

One idea was to move the Scottish Cup final between Rangers and Queen of the South, but Smith admits that ultimately the SFA were left having to agree with the SPL and to leave the schedule as it is.

"It wasn't an option to move it (the Scottish Cup final)," SFA chief executive Smith told Sky Sports News.

"It was something that was a possibility but it wasn't going to make any difference.

"I think that's the difficulty, moving the fixtures, so even if that date became available I think it was going to be difficult.

Problems

"It was an option we looked at and we didn't even have to look at it, but it would have caused us problems to move the cup final.

"We were quite happy for the season to be extended beyond the cup final so that teams could play the following week, but that turned out not to be an option either."

Smith conceded that he was disappointed Scottish football could not do more collectively to help one of their own teams prepare for a European final.

"Collectively would be the right word," he said. "But it was a late stage and no one could know the problems that would arise.

"It is difficult for the SFA to arrange fixtures especially when they have members who also have agendas."

Smith also acknowledged that the Scottish Cup final could suffer as a spectacle if Rangers were forced to field a weakened side.

"That can always happen, so hopefully not."