The Olympic Charter states that no major sporting events other than those forming part of the Games can take place in any cities for the duration of the Olympics.

With Hampden Park in Glasgow due to host eight games in the Olympic football tournament, which runs from July 25 to August 12 next year, the Scottish Premier League (SPL) season may have to be put back from its planned start date during this period.

Alternatively, both Glasgow Rangers and Glasgow Celtic may have to start their league seasons with a series of games away from home, whilst another option would be playing home European games at another stadium in this period.

This season's Scottish league campaign began last weekend, and a similar start date next year would clash with the Olympics Games.

Just twice in ten years has the season started later than August 12, but there is also a potential clash with European qualifying games, as the third round of Champions League qualifying takes place at the end of July and start of August.

It is this stage at which the Scottish champions enter, and either Rangers or Celtic have won the league title every year since 1985.

Similarly the other cities hosting games during the football tournament, including Manchester, Newcastle and of course London, could face similar problems.

This season Fulham began their qualification campaign for the Europa League in July, and were a similar situation to involve a team from any city hosting games during the football tournament, there would be a potential clash.

Former Scottish Sports Minister Stewart Maxwell, a current SNP member of the Scottish Parliament, has written to both the Scottish Premier League and British Olympic Association (BOA) to request clarity over the issue.

Maxwell said: "Supporters of all clubs were excited and ambitious over the weekend as the new football season got under way and excitement is also building ahead of the Olympics next year, but questions still remain on what will happen when the two clash in 2012.

"Despite the issue being raised several months ago, supporters are still unclear as to what effect Olympic competition will have on their clubs and the British Olympic Association need to clarify immediately what their position is on other sporting events taking place during the period of the 2012 Olympics.

"I have written to both the SPL and the BOA seeking immediate clarity, and will also be raising the issue with UEFA as this stipulation in the Olympic Charter could seriously impact on Scottish participation in continental competition next year."

Sebastian Coe, the London 2012 chairman, said in March that discussions would continue and a spokesman for the BOA has said that the matter had been passed onto the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

The SPL has welcomed Maxwell's intervention and said in a statement that the start date for next season would be set towards the end of the year.

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