The SPFL fixtures, we are told, are created by computer, but sometimes, well all the times we seem to have the same pattern of fixtures and the same end of season head scratchers regarding the complicity of the top six split.
How can that be created by computer? A bit like the ominous balls in the cup draws, the law of averages should even itself out, but it doesn’t, ever. Strange eh?
For example, the first quarter of the Premiership fixtures has Celtic visiting Aberdeen, Hearts, Hibs, and Motherwell away from home. All sides who have more than a great chance of finishing in the top six.
If you also add our game at Ibrox that’s five away game at tough venues in our first quarter of games which will inevitably lead to a fixture headache come next spring as Celtic will be due a home game against at least 90 percent of the opposition. That as we know is unfair on any side so there is your dilemma.
Something similar also happened last year and the year before come to think of it. Meanwhile over at Ibrox theRangers face all the same sides at home in the first quarter, again a similar scenario to last term, other than of course they had to come to Celtic Park for the first Glasgow Derby.
We of course have the belief and ability to take care of such tricky fixtures, but it’s not fair and it leaves the league authorities with a dilemma regarding the top six fixtures.
You’d think they would be keen to sort this out and look into the ‘random’ fixtures the computer seems to be churning out on a regular basis.
Just an Ordinary Bhoy
Sorry to burst your bubble but a quick check of last season’s fixture list shows that the Zombies were away to us, Livi, Hearts, Aberdeen, Hibs and Motherwell in the first round of fixtures last year. Every year the calender basically flips, last season we were at home to those teams in the first round of fixtures, this year we’re away.
Don’t think you have got this correct. The fixtures especially as far as Celtic and Rangers are basically just the reverse of last year. We had Aberdeen, Hearts etc at home in the first round of fixtures. Rangers had those teams away. This year its the other way round. This season we will have 3 home games after the split and Rangers 2. The opposite of the season just finished. The split isn’t ideal as the League has to guess which teams will make the top 6 but the SPFL will make sure that Celtic and Rangers always have equal number of home and away games even if it means the likes of Aberdeen coming to Celtic Park 3 times in a season.
Is it not just a reversal of last year where teams we play away twice before the split we play at home twice before the split this year.
Obviously a few changes due to promotion/relegation but beyond that year about going to teams like of Hearts and Aberdeen twice or once before split?