Alan Stubbs unfazed by potential fixture pile-up

Hibs head coach Alan Stubbs insists he is not daunted by the prospect of an exhausting 
fixture pile-up at the end of the season.
Alan Stubbs yesterday urged supporters to take up the club's early bird season ticket offer. Picture: SNSAlan Stubbs yesterday urged supporters to take up the club's early bird season ticket offer. Picture: SNS
Alan Stubbs yesterday urged supporters to take up the club's early bird season ticket offer. Picture: SNS

The Scottish Professional Football League have been left with a headache after Championship promotion hopefuls Hibs and Falkirk were paired in the last four of William Hill 
Scottish Cup – with the second leg of the play-off final scheduled to take place the day after the cup final.

Hibs currently occupy second place in the league and, should they secure a runners-up spot, Stubbs’ side would face the possibility of four play-off games in little over two weeks.

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A cup final appearance would complicate what is already a congested fixture card and the league body is set for talks with all parties, with one suggestion being that the second leg could be postponed until the start 
of June.

Alan Stubbs yesterday urged supporters to take up the club's early bird season ticket offer. Picture: SNSAlan Stubbs yesterday urged supporters to take up the club's early bird season ticket offer. Picture: SNS
Alan Stubbs yesterday urged supporters to take up the club's early bird season ticket offer. Picture: SNS

Speaking yesterday as he helped the club launch season-ticket packages for the 2015/16 campaign, Stubbs insists he is not overly concerned that a 
series of season-defining matches could take place in such quick succession.

He said: “This possibility was always going to potentially arise and the draw has made it more likely. If we do get to that stage, great.

“Whenever you are trying to achieve something, it isn’t just handed to you on a plate. You have to go and take it.

“If we have to play Thursday, Saturday, Monday, in order to achieve success, then that’s what you have to do. Simple as that.

“When you are winning games, it doesn’t matter how quickly they come. You get on with it.

“It becomes more of a problem when you’re not winning but, when you win, tiredness isn’t an issue.

“You build momentum, you keep going from one game to the next.

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“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. We’ve heard that there could be a Plan B in place, so we’ll see what that is.

“The most important thing is we’ve got games before then. It’s important not to get too carried away.”

Stubbs, meanwhile, has urged fans to take up the season ticket offer has quickly as they can to ensure that he can begin 
negotiations with players for next term.

The club have reduced season ticket prices by an average of five per cent across all categories and supporters can receive further discounts if they sign up by the 10 April early bird deadline. Stubbs added: “I think we’re not hiding the fact that this is important to the club and 
myself, with regard to shaping the squad.

“We obviously want to be as competitive as we possibly can. If we can have a really successful early push for season tickets, it will help us to do our business very early – and try to speak to the players who we want to keep as early as possible, get their 
contracts sorted out.

“I don’t think it has too much relevance not knowing what league we’re in because we’re competitive, whatever league we’re in, with the budget 
we have.”