THERE was outrage yesterday when football bosses announced that the next Old Firm match will be played on Hogmanay.

Rank-and-file police officers said the decision to have one of the biggest games of the year held at a time when emergency services are already stretched was “absolutely unbelievable”.

And city council chiefs have confirmed to The National that a 20-year-old by-law means Hogmanay is the one night of the year when it is legal to drink on the streets of Glasgow.

The Scottish Professional Football League announced plans for Rangers to play Celtic at Ibrox on 31 December, with the scheduled kick off at 12.15pm.

Police Scotland and the SPFL have spent the last four months trying to find an alternate date for the fixture, with December 30, and New Year’s Day all being considered. However, the force and the footballers decided to stick with the Hogmanay date.

The Scottish Police Federation, effectively the trade union for constables and sergeants, said the decision to hold the match on one of the busiest days of the year for Police Scotland was “ridiculous”.

Calum Steele, general secretary of the SPF, said: “There are so many reasons why this is a ridiculous decision.

“People are already taking on more alcohol because of the festivities and there’s a heavier demand on the police. It’s also likely that people will not be facing work the next day or for the next couple of days.

“The ordinary Hogmanay events taking place across the country will already have police resources stretched. It’s going to make for a very long and uncomfortable day for police officers.”

Though there was just one arrest made in the ground during last Saturday’s Old Firm match, the game was marred by some horrific behaviour.

A group of Celtic fans created sickening effigies of Rangers supporters being hanged. At the other side of the ground a group of Rangers supporters caused thousands of pounds worth of damage to a toilet in Celtic Park.

Assistant chief constable Bernard Higgins, the force’s strategic lead on football, defended the force’s decision: “The time and date of the next Old Firm fixture was decided after discussions between ourselves, football authorities and broadcasters.

“We believe this is the best option in terms of the needs of the interested parties and minimising the wider community impact.

“Planning has already started in terms of the policing of the fixture and again will involve a multi-agency partnership approach.”

Glasgow City Council’s 1996 by-law to prevent drinking in public places made it illegal to consume alcohol in parks, streets and close mouth on pain of fine at the Sheriff Court. However, councillors made one important exception making it legal to drink between 6pm on December 31 until 6am on New Year’s Day.

The exemption was made to safeguard the city’s Hogmanay party in George Square. However, that party was scrapped in 2011 as it wasn’t “delivering value”.

When the by-law was introduced, the then council leader Pat Lally commented: “I am delighted that the Scottish Office has seen fit to authorise the introduction of these by-laws. Public drinking often leads to disorder, poor behaviour, and, on occasions, violence.

“In some areas of the city, it has lead to untold misery for many innocent people. Hopefully we will not have to tolerate lager louts on our streets for much longer.’’

There is no real chance that the by-law will be changed before the Hogmanay match. Such a move requires approval of the full council, a public consultation, subsequent confirmation of the new by-law at the next meeting of the full council and then approval from a Scottish Minister. Even then it would rescind the whole by-law, defeating the original purpose.

A spokesman for the council told The National: “We do not believe it is practically possible to change the public drinking by-law in the time available.”