Last night, The Daily Record produces one of its pieces of embarrassing claptrap, the sort of stuff that makes that newspaper a running joke amongst Scottish football fans.
It never ceases to amaze me that this publication is still respected as a primary source south of the border and its writers treated as if they are knowledgeable people.
The “story” they put up was about how Ibrox might get a wee lift when the post-split fixtures are published later in the week. Ibrox has 17 games at home in the league and we have 16.
The Record “speculated” that we could end the season with 18 at home, because we’ve played three of the teams at home already, and Ibrox could get 20 games at home because they’ve played three of their possible sides away.
The ignorance behind this rubbish is off the charts. In a close title race, we know exactly what will happen here; what has happened to our club and theirs since they reached the top flight. Both sides will play an equal number of home games. That’s the fact of it.
Both sides will play 19. That’s the way the fixture system works. Ibrox will play an extra game away, we will play an extra game at home. That’s the reality, and it does not matter what spin The Record attempts to put on that. Furthermore, everyone knows this is the case. Even the Ibrox fan forums are reconciled to it and accept it.
I don’t like the system. I hate it, in fact.
The split is ridiculous. The split should be scrapped.
The split exists because nobody in Scotland is willing to accept a 44 game season, and rather than do what would be regarded as the sensible thing – swapping to a ten team league and play a straight 36 with two games against every side at home and another two away – they’ve arrived at that number artificially, by creating this absurd option.
“It makes the league more exciting!” is the claim. No, it actually doesn’t.
There have been a handful of close title races since it was implemented. Furthermore, it robs the teams in the bottom six of having an impact on the run-in. The last two teams to beat the Ibrox club – Motherwell and Ross County – are in the bottom half. It’s a shocking system.
But it is the system we’ve got, and this is how it has worked for years.
How The Record’s “writers” don’t know this, how they don’t go back and check what’s happened in previous campaigns, I do not know.
It’s utter laziness, but worse, it’s utter contempt for their audience. That their editorial staff allowed that nonsense to be published really shows how much they take their readers for mugs.
Split should be scrapped, it has no advantage to anyone and looks stupid when teams below some top 6 have more points.
With Celtic and the rangers fans allocations cut there is not even a financial benefit to some clubs in the top 6.
On your main point James have you verified this, ie, Celtic and the rangers always have the same number of home games? I think I can recall rangers getting the advantage of an extra home game in the past.
correct it is nonsense but as usual it has a positive outlook for ibrox. scotlands sevco media shame. why is there a delay in announcing the fixtures is it because they are trying not to upset ibrox too much ? when the games are announced keep your eye on sky sevco doing their usual in the dates.
We know what they are. The Rio incident as well, one debatable incident ONE…..and they were tryin tae blow smoke up its arse tae fan the flames. Nothin but a crass, pathetic, transparent attempt tae create a ‘cheating’ image of a player, that isn’t there and never has been. This fkn garbage, is what makes us winnin even better. They’ll jump on anythin from any angle tae either attack or unsettle our club, manager, or players. Another example of how it feels so good tae ram all their sneaky, snide, biased tactics down their necks. DR of course. Only fit for pickin up dug shit.
The poor, poor dug shit is all I can say Kevan !
I seen it covering over a pile of sick on a ferry in rough seas a while back…
The poor, poor puke is all I can say –
Luckily it’s headed to a cemetery very soon where it absolutely belongs…
Canny come a day too soon for me the day it happens Kevan…
Get the Lairs open for The Open Liars !!!
They take their readers for mugs because they ARE mugs.
As I’m sure others are racing to point out, the 10 team top flight produced 36 games a season rather than 38. There was a contemporaneous weird anomaly in the the two lower divisions as well (when it was still the 3 tiers rather than the current 4) – they played each other 3 times in 14 team leagues, meaning their season was 39 matches, so some you’d play twice at home and once away, others vice-versa. The SPFL and its forerunners had a long ignominious history of complete incompetence before “the split” was dreamed up.
Those Record scoop typists at the rag’s s ‘sport’ s desk ‘ know the game is up . They know it’s only a matter of time until the circling of the drain becomes lost into the sea of extinction …forever ! They don’t care therefore what is published ,whether horrendous or toe curling embarrassing . They are biding their time until the word from above that their services are no longer required . If the Record are desperate for predictions ,all they have to do is consult it’s head sports scoop – big Inaction – , he fancies himself as a bit of a soothsayer ? A nice wee side earner for Jacksy …. hhhiiicccuupp !
4 pages this morning rallying round them
Just think what this rag would be coming out with if Rodgers had 2 wins in 7
The Celtic Blog would let us know Harold…
Just hopin ya picked this rag off a bus seat or train seat or a pub seat Harold as anything else is supporting them in a financial manner when we really need The Open Liars in The Open Lairs (ie a media cemetery) !!!
If you know of any other forums that investigate them I’m keen to know so that I can drill them into the ground on there as well !!!
James,there’s another team languishing in the bottom six who have beaten the huns in the league this season……… And at the Stade de Bigot,as well !
A team whose ground they fear going to almost as much as making the trip to Paradise………Aberdeen .
They would have been having sleepless nights over a second visit to Pittodrie as they salvaged at draw with a 90+4 minutes penalty,courtesy of their rush goalie,Goldson doing his usual falling down like a drunk impression under minimal contact in the Don’s box.
My guess is they will have to play St Mirren in Paisley as their additional away game as l cannot see them being made to go to the plastic pitch at Rugby Park. and after all the furore about their on-off visit to Dens l think the SPFL will be thinking about dodging that particular bullet when trying to stitch up Celtic, as per usual.
I can see Celtic playing in no particular order
Huns ,home
Killie,away
Diet huns,home
St Mirren,away
Dundee,home
With the huns playing
Celtic, away
Killie,home
Diet huns,away……but scratch/ walk over in favour of the huns so it doesn’t matter where it’s played !
St Mirren, away
Dundee,home.
I realise that Killie would probably protest about the Buddies getting to play at Love Street’s successor while they have to go to lpox but when did anyone else’s rights get in the way of pandering to the huns !
Thoughts,anyone ???
Spot on Mr Hicks HH
This is not a normal season. If the number of home fixtures are not written in stone, expect some tampering with the computer.
It is within the rules for an uneven number of home and away games but the priority has always been for us and them to get 19 home and 19 away, this year will be no different. The Record printed this pish so the huns can moan about being hard done by when the fixtures are finally announced. They’re waiting for tomorrow’s game to work out when the league will likely be won. There might be a bit of grumping about the fixtures from both sides but that’s because the split is unfair and stupid
A 10 team league? That’s the worst possible suggestion. How many times do you want to play the same team? If you include comps, we could play a Livingston etc 6 times in a season. Then there’s the fact that 8 teams are effectively starting the season in their own league trying to avoid getting relegated, so the football would be even more defensive and youth etc wouldn’t stand a chance.
When the league was changing from 10, I think it was mentioned that there has to be a minimum of 30 games. A 16 team league would therefore be the best option. And imo only have 1/2 good divisions below it. I personally think there’s far too many football clubs in Scotland, and I come from one of they wee team towns (raith rovers) where we have Dunfermline, east fife and Cowdenbeath that were all in the leagues, with paltry crowds.