Scottish League Chiefs, Broadcasters Locked In Marathon Talks Over Fixtures

Scottish league bosses "are locked in marathon talks with broadcasters and cops after failing to agree on the post-split top-flight fixtures," according to Keith Jackson of the Scotland DAILY RECORD. Scottish Professional Football League CEO Neil Doncaster "expected to announce the dates of all matches in this season’s climax" on Tuesday. But, despite spending the past two days in negotiations with the bosses of Sky TV and BT Sport as well as Police Scotland, "no agreement was even close to being reached by close of business." A source said, "To say this process is proving incredibly difficult would be something of an understatement. It’s not just a case of two rival broadcasters arguing over who gets the best live games and when, but it’s also further complicated by the requirements of the police. At this moment in time it’s fair to say we are nowhere near reaching an agreement" (DAILY RECORD, 4/14).