HAMPDEN faces a straight fight with BT Murrayfield as the future home of Scottish football after Ibrox and Celtic Park were ruled out.
The Scottish Football Association decided against using the grounds of Rangers and Celtic for Scottish Cup finals and internationals on an ongoing basis following a board meeting.
The SFA’s lease agreement with Hampden runs out in 2020 and a decision on a potential extension is now expected in the summer.
The governing body is not keen on maintaining the same terms over the use of the stadium - which is owned by Queen’s Park - and the Scottish Rugby Union was previously invited to pitch for a deal to use its Edinburgh-based home, which has a 67,000 capacity - 15,000 more than Hampden.
The SFA announced that it considered submissions from the three Glasgow clubs plus other stakeholders, including the wider membership.
A statement read: “Having considered all submissions and supporting documentation, the board has decided at this time to further develop two positive options: remaining at Hampden Park beyond 2020 and moving to BT Murrayfield.
“This decision was taken after considering the financial implications of all proposals submitted.
“Given the complexity of the discussion - as well as the social, economic and emotional impact of any final decision - the board was unanimous that more work requires to be undertaken to bring further clarity and certainty to any final decision.”
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