Celtic vs Aberdeen will NOT be televised – and here are the multiple reasons why fans are sick about it

The game of the day will be blacked out but those who love Scottish football can see clearly what has to change

Forget the why, we'll ruminate over that shortly. Instead, let's zero in on the how surrounding an own goal which feels avoidable.

In a fortnight, two Premiership sides boasting unblemished records will lock horns in Glasgow's east end as champions Celtic host an Aberdeen side who have won a remarkable 13 consecutive games under Jimmy Thelin. The super Swede has breathed new life into a team who, somehow, contrived to skirt the edges of a relegation dogfight before Peter Leven cleaned up the mess continued by Neil Warnock last season.

So how remarkable is this Granite City turnaround, you say? If Thelin masterminds a win against Celtic he will have equalled Aberdeen's pre-split win total of eight in 25 fewer matches. So, how can the average dedicated follower of Scottish football tune into this can't miss match? Well, er, there's a wee catch, you won't be able to watch the game live in Britain.

The long-running debate over big games in Scottish football being unable for live public consumption has bubbled to the surface on multiple occasions over the years. So, let's park the how, or how the Hell, in this case, and delve into the why. The reason you won't be watching the game live on your couch or in the pub is two-fold. Firstly, and it's the unavoidable factor, is the controversial 3pm blackout rule – in place across the whole of British football. The premise is simple, you cannot kick off televised matches between 14.25 and 17.25 on Saturday's bar Cup Finals. The rule, in place since 1960 and viewed as archaic by many, is in place to protect the sacred kick-off time which was the go to of a bygone era.

The Covid pandemic isn't remembered fondly but it did allow football chiefs to get creative and think differently over kick-off times, scheduling and with every punter being reduced to becoming an armchair follower, it led to innovations which have not been maintained since the world returned to before.

It would be remiss to state the 3pm blackout rule is the only factor at play here, there is also Scottish football's TV deal to consider. There are some clauses and buffers within Sky's contract which are pertinent with the battle of the undefeated not being on the TV planner. The 48 televised games a season have become 60 and now Premier Sports have landed the ability to air a further 20 matches per season. PPVs are available to clubs but not on Saturday's within the danger hours. Celtic's thrilling 2-1 win over Motherwell in October 2023 kicked off at noon on a Saturday, so it fulfilled the criteria.

But, there's a catch. You can only head to the same stadium to broadcast five times, up from one from the previous deal. Serial title winners Celtic have three locked in with flag day and their two fixtures against Rangers. And then, the hope for Brendan Rodgers and Co once again, is a return to see them in May for another trophy day for the team who have won 12 of the last 13 Scottish Premiership titles. Wiggle room is in short supply but the ability to adapt to an emerging title battle should be a given.

So we know the how, and the why, but, for many, there is no logic or rulebook stipulations which will ever quell their anger that they can't devour a contest which doesn't come around often. Celtic hosted upstart Hearts back in 2005 as Gordon Strachan's side, while not undefeated, were on upturn as they hosted George Burley's then title pacesetters. It felt a unique game at the time.

Celtic and Rangers had both won eight consecutive games to start the season in 2010 before Walter Smith's side reigned supreme in Glasgow's east end. But these types of games, more akin to boxers putting their undefeated records on the line, are so uniquely fleeting, they can't help result in a collective groan from those who won't be inside Celtic Park.

There is, of course, a counter argument, where a certain fan enjoys the big game being blacked out, those who revel in the radio, love an, ahem, award-winning live blog without compare, to follow the game. But in an era when the crackdown on firesticks and illegal streaming looms large, there's a sizeable contingent of football supporters who just want to watch the best games live. And, let's not pretend here, punters who want to watch the game at home will find a way to do. Is that hell-bent desire to seek out the game of the day a bad thing? Legally, yes, but morally it's an indication of what is at stake. The current rules offer an antiquated system which no Neil Doncaster soundbite will ever change the mind of diehards who demand better.

Will there ever be a happy medium? We live in hope.

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