SCOTTISH PREMIER LEAGUE: The Scottish Premier League have revealed the return of the New Year Old Firm derby was not a deliberate ploy in the fixture list.

Celtic and Rangers will meet in the second Old Firm derby of the season on January 3rd, 2004 at Parkhead. The New Year game between the Glasgow clubs had previously been a traditional feature of the holiday period.

But, after the 1998-1999 season, the fixture was moved to another date, although the two did play each other two days after Christmas 1999.

Both sets of fans have welcomed the return to the tradition - but the SPL concede it was the fixture computer which threw the pair together as the first game in 2004.

An SPL spokesman said: "That was just the way the fixtures came out. It wasn't a deliberate decision to bring back the New Year derby."

Hearts and Hibernian will meet on the second weekend of the season, August 16th - just a fortnight after the inaugural Festival Cup. The pre-season game between both sides has been designed as a possible annual curtain-raiser to the season.

The controversial split which was introduced two seasons ago will remain, with the league dividing into two after the fixtures scheduled for April 17th.

But the SPL have refused to rule out the possibility of abandoning the split which was designed to make the league more exciting when it was first introduced for the 2000-2001 campaign.

An SPL spokesman said: "The SPL are considering structures going forward but it is not something that will be rushed into."