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The Old Firm derby


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It is annoying that this has STILL not been rectified from last year. I've had seasons with three home games, and also with three away games, out of four against my rivals. IRL this never has, and never will happen.

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While the split can lead to uneven home and away matches against other opposition within the SPL, what the OP is saying quite correctly is that there is no way the SPL would ever allow either Rangers or Celtic to have 3 home old firm derby matches.

well technically it could happen, after the split the games are drawn out, it is possible for there to be 3 home games for either rangers or celtic. Just like it is possible any other team could play each other home or away more often. The SPL is not just arranged around the old firm and making sure they are happy with the fixture list.

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well technically it could happen, after the split the games are drawn out, it is possible for there to be 3 home games for either rangers or celtic. Just like it is possible any other team could play each other home or away more often. The SPL is not just arranged around the old firm and making sure they are happy with the fixture list.

The point is that he has had to play his main rivals away from home three times and at home once. It's something we are aware of and would like to rectify but it's not as straightforward as you might think.

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The point is that he has had to play his main rivals away from home three times and at home once. It's something we are aware of and would like to rectify but it's not as straightforward as you might think.

aberdeen could end up playing rangers away three times in a season the way the league is run, it can happen, i didnt thin the SPL went out of their way to make sure only the old firm had equal home and away games against each other. This was the big argument when they made up the split, some teams rely on the old firm coming to town so to speak and a few were annoyed that they might lose one home game against them even if they were in the top 6. I could be wrong tho that was just how i read it.

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As far as I know the SPL base the fixtures around the teams that were in the top 6 the previous season to try and even it up, obviously though the top 6 won't necessarily be the same at the split in the current season as it was the previous season and this is when the problems arise.

I also seem to remeber them talking about trying to make the fixtures as fair as possible and having to redo the fixtures a number of times to reach a fair conclusion.

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well technically it could happen, after the split the games are drawn out, it is possible for there to be 3 home games for either rangers or celtic. Just like it is possible any other team could play each other home or away more often. The SPL is not just arranged around the old firm and making sure they are happy with the fixture list.

it actually is. im assumin your not from scotland as anyone who lives up here and follows scottish football knows that either side of the old firm would never accept this, it just wouldnt happen.

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it actually is. im assumin your not from scotland as anyone who lives up here and follows scottish football knows that either side of the old firm would never accept this, it just wouldnt happen.

from aberdeen i just dont pay that much attention to how they arrange the fixtures, apologies if i am wrong with what i was saying i just didnt think they would go out of their way to make sure they both had home and away games in equal quantities.

I assume therefor by your statement that you know every football fan in scotland yes?

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The point is that he has had to play his main rivals away from home three times and at home once. It's something we are aware of and would like to rectify but it's not as straightforward as you might think.

happens reguarly with hearts v rangers so should not be changed because somebody from one half of the old firm moans but if si work liek the sfa it will probably be changed

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from aberdeen i just dont pay that much attention to how they arrange the fixtures, apologies if i am wrong with what i was saying i just didnt think they would go out of their way to make sure they both had home and away games in equal quantities.

I assume therefor by your statement that you know every football fan in scotland yes?

no of course i dont, but the facts speak for themselves. the spl league split format has been in place for several years now and the situation the OP mentioned has never happened yet.

coincidence? i dont think so.

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happens reguarly with hearts v rangers so should not be changed because somebody from one half of the old firm moans but if si work liek the sfa it will probably be changed

The point is that Rangers and Celtic are usually battling it out for the title so it would be unfair for either to have to play 3 times in the league away at their rivals. I would like to think the same thing would happen if it were a different two teams battling for the title. Was it not last season (or season before) that Hearts or Hibs had a third away trip to their rivals to accommodate the post-split fixtures.

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The point is that Rangers and Celtic are usually battling it out for the title so it would be unfair for either to have to play 3 times in the league away at their rivals. I would like to think the same thing would happen if it were a different two teams battling for the title. Was it not last season (or season before) that Hearts or Hibs had a third away trip to their rivals to accommodate the post-split fixtures.

It just seems a bit biased, is it not unfair on the likes of ICT say to have to travel to ibrox 3 times and miss out on the many thousands they make from a home game to Rangers?

I know you dont control the way the SPL chooses fixtures, i am just really suprised by this, i would be very interested to read this officailly from the SFA in some context to confirm it. I would have been very suprised they go out of their way only for the old firm in this situation BUT i am most probably wrong.

Do you have a link or any supporting info from an official source that backs this up?

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its just a known fact that the spl normally panders to what the old firm want since they are the only two major players in scotland. im not sayin its right or i agree with it but thats just the way its always been up here. i know this from havin followed celtic for the last 20 years.

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The point is that Rangers and Celtic are usually battling it out for the title so it would be unfair for either to have to play 3 times in the league away at their rivals. I would like to think the same thing would happen if it were a different two teams battling for the title. Was it not last season (or season before) that Hearts or Hibs had a third away trip to their rivals to accommodate the post-split fixtures.

hearts played rangers 3 times away a couple times in the last 5 years should not be changed

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It just seems a bit biased, is it not unfair on the likes of ICT say to have to travel to ibrox 3 times and miss out on the many thousands they make from a home game to Rangers?

I know you dont control the way the SPL chooses fixtures, i am just really suprised by this, i would be very interested to read this officailly from the SFA in some context to confirm it. I would have been very suprised they go out of their way only for the old firm in this situation BUT i am most probably wrong.

Do you have a link or any supporting info from an official source that backs this up?

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/football/spl/2009/04/20/celtic-demand-explanation-of-spl-split-fixture-list-86908-21292837/

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that doesnt state rangers and celtic have to play each other home and away twice during the season it just states that they try to make sure all teams have an equal amount of home and away games during the season.

I really dont think there is a rule which states the old firm have to play each other home and away twice during the season. They SPL might try and arrange this as such but i dont think it is written in stone so to speak.

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it isnt written in stone so to speak as then the other clubs would have major grounds for complaint but as i stated above i cant remember it ever happening since the league split was introduced 5 or 6 years ago.

imo thats no coincidence.

that is different tho, i do understand what is being said but unless there is a rule in place then i would have thought the game would just follow the rules, although it may not have happened yet there is still the chance it may, therefor there should not be a rule in the game which states otherwise.

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before the season starts, the SPL bigwigs predict where everyone will finish in order to determine who plays who, and how many games are played home and away.

if teams final positions differ from the predictions it means there may be difficulties in ensuring each team plays the teams they should home and away twice.

if the fixtures do not match up one season the SPL attempt to rectify this (say hearts play kilmarnock 3 times at home and one away, they will reverse this to even it out) however they still need to predict where everyone will finish again. should their predictions be wrong again this can potentially make things even worse for the split.

regarding the old firm, unless one of them finish outside the top 6 at the time of the split, there will not be an issue with the fixtures but that does not mean it is impossible.

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