Hearts' Ann Budge: Hampden semi-finals 'almost a disaster waiting to happen'
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Hearts beat semi-final opponents Celtic 1-0 in a league meeting at Tynecastle in August
Staging both League Cup semi-finals on the same day at Hampden is "almost a disaster waiting to happen", says Hearts owner Ann Budge.
Aberdeen meet Rangers at 12:00 GMT on Sunday, 28 October, before Hearts play Celtic at 19:45.
The SPFL say it is "the best solution" because both Old Firm clubs have Europa League games on 25 October.
"You could have knocked me down with a feather," said Budge of her reaction to the scheduling.
Speaking to BBC Scotland's Sportsound, she added: "Clearly, no one believes this is a good solution. I don't believe the SPFL thinks it's a good solution.
"For whatever reason, they feel their hands are tied and they can't come up with an alternative."
SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster has acknowledged the "regrettable inconvenience" to fans
But he said it was beyond the control of the organisation, citing a "very tightly-congested" fixture schedule and a contractual obligation to use Hampden for both matches.
'We need to think out of the box'
Hearts boss Craig Levein has already called it "absolute madness" and "beyond belief".
And Budge has concerns about four large groups of supporters all converging no Glasgow at the same time, all wanting to do the same things.
"Fans will be arriving early to go for a pint, they will be going to the pubs after the first game. It really is a big problem," she said.
"I guess from the SPFL's perspective, all they can do is ask Police Scotland 'are you happy you can handle this?' and, apparently they have said yes."
Budge described the early and late kick-offs at the national stadium as "totally unacceptable" for supporters and something that "flies in the face" of attempts to bring more fans to football.
She added: "We've been back and forth with suggestions but, in terms of the fixtures, everything we came up with was met with 'that can't be done because...'
"I know how hugely complex this all is but I think we almost have to forget some of the constraints and think out of the box. I will continue to press for an alternative. I will keep pushing."
'Are these not exceptional circumstances?' - analysis
Former Hearts midfielder Michael Stewart on Sportsound
The solution is the one game at Hampden and one at Murrayfield but the one thing stopping that is an 18-year-old contract that determines what semis have to be played where. Why are we rigid and stuck to that? What happened when the Commonwealth Games were on? Exceptional circumstances meant games were moved from Hampden. Why can't we think outside the box and do that now?
Former Aberdeen defender Willie Miller on Sportsound
What are the problems here? The police aren't objecting, the TV people aren't objecting, so who's objecting and for what reasons? Aberdeen have had to travel down early before and it's a problem every time - why is it such a big problem this time? Ann didn't offer any solutions either…