Soccer:Celtic will still be able to participate in the Dublin Super Cup next summer despite the decision of the Scottish Premier League to kick off the new season on July 23rd. The earlier start date has been chosen to help SPL clubs get up to speed for the early rounds of European football.

However, in a concession to the Old Firm in particular, the SPL board have allowed clubs to opt out of one fixture early in the season to allow them to take part in lucrative pre-season tournaments. Celtic had already signed up for the Dublin Super Cup on July 30th-31st, which features Manchester City and Inter Milan and a League of Ireland select.

The SPL has kicked off in July on five occasions since its formation in 1998, but always on the last weekend of the month. SPL chief executive Neil Doncaster explained there was a “clear divide” between clubs over the start date, with some preferring to take part in money-generating friendlies and others hoping to take advantage of the boost in gate receipts secured by playing in better weather.

One of the key aspects of Doncaster’s ongoing bid to reform the Scottish game is to introduce an earlier start, without competing with the World Cup or European Championships, to help teams become “battle-hardened” for European competition.

Writing in a blog on the SPL’s official website, Doncaster pointed out that Celtic, Dundee United and Hibernian all fell at the first hurdle in Europe this season while Swiss teams “seem to punch above their weight in the early stages”.

The former Norwich chief executive also claimed the SPL had been diluting the appeal of their games to broadcasters by kicking off and ending the season at the same time as the English leagues.