Chris Sutton has branded Celtic vs Rangers fixture conspiracy theories 'laughable' after the October date for the first Old Firm derby of the season was met with criticism.

The SPFL released the full Premiership season calendar on Monday.

The first Glasgow derby will take place on October 17, but there's claims it has been pushed back so Celtic can get fans into Parkhead for the showdown.

But BT Sport pundit Sutton insists it's absurd to suggest that the decision is intentional. He also feels it's irrelevant because every team has to play the same number of games when it's all said and done.

Speaking on the latest Daily Record Celtic podcast podcast, he said: "Who really cares how the fixtures fall?

"I think there's been far too much made of this. I can honestly say, as player I never really looked at the fixtures.

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"In the league programme you have to play everybody the same amount of every times - although you have the split as well.

"So people who are coming up with conspiracy theories about a computer and how it falls - who cares? Who actually, really, really cares about that?

"That's the long and the short of it, I really don't get what the big furore is about this.

"Celtic have to play Rangers sometime, if it's in October or if it's in August.

"It is what it is. I don't think fixtures should be put in to suit Celtic and Rangers, and the calendar actually moved because of Celtic or for Rangers.

"That wouldn't be right and fair across the board. The fixtures fall as they fall.

"There have been some quite high profile people up there who have been commenting on this.

"It's actually laughable, people who have played the game talking about conspiracies over the way the fixtures fall when you have to play everybody anyway. You couldn't actually make that up."

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Sutton thinks these theories have gained traction because Rangers fans are feeling the heat due to the high stakes of next term, with Celtic on the brink of Ten in a Row.

He added: "That tells you the feeling up there and we know what's at stake but it's about 38 games. It's about endurance, consistency and seeing it through and Rangers haven't done that the last couple of seasons after Christmas.

"That's their big issue, not playing Aberdeen and blaming Neil Doncaster for the way the fixtures fall."