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It Is An Utter Disgrace That Celtic Aren’t Getting The SPFL’s Curtain Raising Fixture.

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Mark Wilson, speaking on Radio Clyde the other day, expressed his lack of concern and support for those of us who think that Celtic – as champions – should get the opening game of the league campaign.

It seems to me a perfectly reasonable proposition.

In fact, doing anything other than making the champions the team who raises the curtain on a brand new league season seems, to me anyway, a vaguely insulting decision, one that radiates contempt.

Let the also-rans fight it out over who plays the live Sunday game … we are the best club in the land and that should be reflected by giving us the opening match.

Instead it’s Celtic who plays last. As if we were merely making the numbers up and not the side who everyone wants to beat.

Last season, when the Ibrox club were defending champions, they got the early kick-off to open the fixtures. We got the latest possible kick-off still playing on the Saturday.

No-one complained because this is how most of us understand the tradition.

But here’s the thing; this is the third season in a row that a game involving the Ibrox club has been the curtain raiser, and we’ve been champions on two of those occasions.

If this is Sky doing the decision making – and of course it is – you have to wonder what on earth is going on with their Scottish football scheduling department.

There are psychological elements to this, and we should bear those in mind. The team who kicks off first can lay down a marker and put early pressure on their rivals. Ibrox’s three years of playing first in a row is an oddity, but not one that should shock any of us, as we know full well what Sky Sport’s coverage of our club is like.

The number of times last season that our fans had to buy pay-per-view tickets for away games whilst those of the Ibrox club were shown on Sky … alarming. Our first away game of this campaign, Ross County, will not be available to watch anywhere.

Sky’s contempt for our fans is clear.

That they don’t think the league title holders should raise the curtain is appalling, and will have neutrals scratching their heads in amazement.

It is an embarrassing and indefensible decision, made for the second time in three years … in both cases involving us.

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  • Andrew quinn says:

    What are celtic saying about this?.
    Are they doing or saying nothing as per usual.
    Once again its the celtic fans that are being
    Short changed.
    Absolutely shocking and I know the sfa or spfl will do nothing about it .
    It’s time celtic stood up for its supporters.

    • Damian says:

      What are they saying about being given the preferred Sunday afternoon slot; the one with the most viewers; the same one Man City have been given for the opening weekend down south? I can’t imagine.

  • David Moore says:

    100% Totally agree, as a season ticket holder for many a year I’m disgusted that again Celtic are failing the fans for a sky slot we would never get, champions should always kick the season off & at a time for our fans not tv, from my personal point of view I love to enjoy our flag day but as I’m driving on Monday morning like many other fans we can’t celebrate our day to a full, very dissatisfied supporter.

  • Dora says:

    Super Sunday-main event…love it..!!
    Question is-Greek god or the Japanese superstar for top scorer??
    All in..back both—free Lunny either way!

  • Roonsa says:

    Sky only care about numbers. So the question you should be asking, perhaps, is why the hun games get more viewers than our own? I haven’t checked the figures yet, deliberately so. So any cretins out there (I’m looking at you Sean ya cheeky little monkey) who want to “burn” me with the facts, don’t bother. I will already know them by the time it takes you to type in the response.

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