POLICE Scotland has insisted public safety and not cost-cutting was behind a decision to have the second Old Firm match of the season to be played on Hogmanay for the first time in the fixture's 126-year history.
Officers have raised concerns that avoiding making extra payments was the overriding factor behind the move to keep the Rangers v Celtic kick off held on New Year's Eve, a Saturday. The game will also kick-off at 12.15pm, two-and-three-quarter hours earlier than originally scheduled.
But there has been concern that this will mean some fans getting ready for parties to bring in the new year will have an excuse to start drinking earlier, at a time when there is a strain on emergency services.
Officers believe that Police Scotland do not want to have the game on New Year's Day as extra payments will not be sanctioned for the hundreds of police required for the fixture.
Scottish football governing body the Scottish Professional Football League had been under pressure to switch the game at Ibrox to a different date, but they have confirmed it will take place on the Hogmanay Saturday which coincides with a programme of English Premier League fixtures.
Brian Docherty, chairman of the Scottish Police Federation said: "I think everyone, myself included are looking at this as based on a purely financial set of circumstances. That's the only conclusion people can make.
"I suspect the easiest way to look at it is that there is an issue to pay money in overtime for the New Year's Day. "We will be asking why the decision was taken, because nobody has come to us to consult.
"Resources are stretched to the limit, and at that time of the year when people are looking at having some down time with families, you get this decision taken which again means that family time will be lost with individual officers expected to work.
"It is a decision we should, perhaps, have been consulted on, and we are disappointed that we weren't and that officers who are working hard all year are again not being considered in relation to decisions being taken. "It would make more sense to have the game on a quiet Tuesday or Wednesday night.
"We are aware there are issues in relation to finance, and we know that in the financial climate they cannot afford to pay overtime."
But assistant chief constable Bernard Higgins, the force's strategic lead on football, insists the decision was made for public safety reasons and believes the early Hogmanay kick-off will cut the amount of drinking that takes place.
It is understood a number of dates were considered for the match, including a night-time fixture on Friday, December 30, or switching the tie to New Year's Day.
The last time the 'derby of derbies' was played on January 1 was at Parkhead in 1994, when Walter Smith’s Rangers beat Lou Macari’s Celtic 4-2 in a match marked by crowd trouble.
Bottles, coins, pies and Mars bars were thrown at the director’s box in what was to be the last Old Firm match to be played before Fergus McCann bought out the old board.
Three Celtic supporters also invaded the field and one had to be wrestled to the ground by a combination of Rangers captain Richard Gough, defender John Brown, stewards and police as he attempted to reach goalkeeper Ally Maxwell.
For the past 22 years, the match has been played away from traditional downtime periods during the Christmas and New Year period. In 2011/12, Celtic beat Rangers 1-0 at Parkhead on December 28 and the previous two seasons January 2 and January 3, were dates picked for the fixture.
ACC Higgins said: "This is not about finance, this about public safety. When these fixtures were first published in the summer we had a number of discussions with the football authorities and after reflection, it was agreed that this was the most suitable time and day to deliver a safe event and minimise the impact on the wider community for a number of reasons."
Paul Waterson, who is chief executive of the Scottish Licensed Trade Association, the biggest representative body for publicans in Scotland said it was wrong to stick to Hogmanay and raised concerns of all-day drinking on New Year's Eve leading to alcohol-related problems earlier on Saturday.
But ACC Higgins said: “Firstly, the early kick off limits the potential for over-consumption of alcohol which can help to reduce any subsequent anti-social behaviour or violence. “Ensuring spectators attend the event safely is a priority. The transport infrastructure will be operating normally whereas a reduced service would be in place on January 1.
“As people have commitments around family celebrations and gatherings they are more likely to enjoy the football match and return home promptly. Again, to emphasise, this is about public safety and between now and December 31, we will plan carefully with the clubs and the authorities."
So far only one arrest was made at the first Old Firm match of the season on Saturday at Celtic Park, although there was widespread concern about various incidents including the trashing of the Parkhead toilets and the hanging of two plastic effigies with hands tied behind their backs in the manner of an execution within the ground.
Police have confirmed their inquiries are ongoing into the incidents.
Last month Police Scotland moved to insist there was no overtime ban after claims officers were told to abandon drug investigations in cases where they had to work extra hours.
Police Scotland said there was no specific cap on overtime spending.
But in February Janet Murray, the then director of financial services at Scottish Police Authority said that part of their financial recovery from a budget overspend has involved reducing overtime.
It emerged that detectives who work over their shift have to ask permission from their boss to do extra hours. Previously, they would automatically work longer and claim overtime later.
Some officers then claimed the purge was like a pay cut as many relied on extra hours to boost their wages.
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