RUGBY chiefs say they’ll foot the bill for policing Old Firm matches should Murrayfield become the new home of Scottish football.

Scottish Rugby’s CEO said its bid to host football matches at the Edinburgh stadium includes all costs associated with policing Rangers-Celtic clashes.

He was responding to concerns raised by Scottish Police Federation General Secretary Calum Steele, in which he warned of the “not inconsiderable policing implications” of switching crunch Old Firm cup matches from Hampden.

Mr Steele warned policing the fixture in Edinburgh would create extra costs – with officers having to police crowds for longer periods as they make they way to the ground, and afterwards as they spilled into a city centre unfamiliar with tense Old Firm supports.

However Mr McKay said policing costs linked to Old Firm fixtures are already “part of the bid” and that he believed the relevant authorities were satisfied.

He said: “I can’t go into the commercials itself, but all the costs associated with policing Old Firm costs are included in the bid process.”

“All the policing costs … are part of the bid that we’ve shared with the Scottish FA.”

Mr McKay said that Police Scotland said the force could comfortably cope if tens of thousands of Rangers and Celtic supporters were to gather in Edinburgh for a League or Scottish Cup crunch fixture.

He added: “Police Scotland have been part of our discussions and part of our planning for the bid, and Police Scotland have told us that regardless of where the Scottish FA decide to go they will make sure they can comfortably confirm manage whether it is at Murrayfield or at Hampden.”

He added: “I understand that the Federation have a position on matters, but Police Scotland have committed to us in writing that they are neutral, and wherever it goes that they’ll manage to police it.”

“It’s not beyond recognition that there are major events that take place in Edinburgh, there are major events that take place in Glasgow. We’re a pretty small nation and I would like to think that with the right sort of planning, with the right sort of arrangements, with the right discussions on-going that we could police any event.”

Murrayfield officials now believe they are within touching distance of wrenching Scottish football’s biggest matches away from their historic Hampden home – having put forward an ‘outstanding case’ to SFA chiefs.

The Scottish Football Association is due to announce its final decision on whether to move their showpiece football fixtures from Hampden to Murrayfield a week today (next WED)

Earlier this week Glasgow City Council leader Susan Aitken penned a last gasp plea to the SFA, warning the impact on the local community of leaving Hampden would leave “a historic stain which would be impossible to erase.”

She also insisted new transport measures, which could help ease one of the key areas of frustration among football fans, are already under way.