Hibs chairman Ron Gordon has let rip at the SPFL for scheduling the Edinburgh derby as the club's first home game of the new season.
Speaking to a number of Hibs fan podcasts, the Easter Road chief reckons league bosses have made an "absurd" and "foolish" decision to stage a flagship fixture so early in the campaign. Lee Johnson's side host Hearts on August 7 and Gordon insists the scheduling makes "zero business sense".
With their opening home fixture traditionally drawing higher attendance regardless of opponent, the chairman is angry the club will miss out on a second big gate guaranteed by playing the derby further down the line. Johnson's side also face Rangers in their first four fixtures and Gordon revealed he's already made his frustration known at Hampden. He said: "I'm not happy. The league, putting the derby so early in the season... for a variety of reasons, number one, we're doing construction, we're going to get the west stand completed on the Wednesday or Thursday of the Sunday before Hearts.
"They knew that and they scheduled the biggest game of the season. I mean, honestly, who schedules a derby as the opening day? You would never have Celtic- Rangers or Man City-Man United as your opening day.
"It makes zero business sense, it kills your season ticket, it's just like 'who does that?'. I've already had this conversation with the league, I just find it absurd.
"But, in any case, that is our reality because once it's published, it's published. It puts in a difficult position where we need to be ready to play those big matches. Not only do we have Hearts, we have Rangers after that at home. I think the schedule is really, really poor. Poorly planned on multiple fronts, I was, like, shocked.
"I was really disappointed in the league, to be honest with you, because you would never do that. Opening day is, by default, a high attendance day. We get 2000-3500 who walk up because it's opening day and it's a beautiful and sunny day.
"It's a high attendance day and instead of having two in the derby and opening day you collapse them into one. You kill 4000, 5000 attendance that you're not going to get, it's foolish. But that's our reality."
Gordon's frustrations comes amid a miserable week for Hibs. Johnson's team have been dumped out of the Premier Sports Cup after the club were punished by the SPFL for fielding the suspended Rocky Bushiri in Wednesday's draw with Morton. The Championship side were awarded a 3-0 victory for the error. The club have also been frustrated by red tape delaying the arrivals of new signings Marijan Cabraja and Elie Youan.
