Scottish Premiership split as fair and balanced as ever

[Diclonius]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39584406

Ross County, fighting relegation, have to play 20 games away from home. Curiously enough, neither Celtic or Rangers have this problem yet again.

When do we get to do away with this shambles?

[Michael]

I take it the SPFL will be reimbursing season ticket holders?

[1van Sprou7e]

I've never understood why they did this. It seems to happen every year to one team but I can't see any possible benefit for them to do this

[Nicho87]

The split is a ****in farce in the first place.

[Spike Mandela]

I've never understood why they did this. It seems to happen every year to one team but I can't see any possible benefit for them to do this

It may be unavoidable due to the split. If say 5 out of the bottom six have played more away games than home games then at least one of them will have to play 20 away games.

It is only avoidable if you are Rangers or Celtic apparently.:cb

[1van Sprou7e]

It may be unavoidable due to the split. If say 5 out of the bottom six have played more away games than home games then at least one of them will have to play 20 away games.

It is only avoidable if you are Rangers or Celtic apparently.:cb

Makes sense I guess. I remember a few seasons ago we had to play Inverness away 3 times which I could not understand

[Deansy]

As long as the GFA/SEPTIC & HUNS are in our game, the league will NEVER be fair.

[givescotlandfreedom]

It's pathetic especially given one of their two darlings has already won the league so it makes no difference if they have another away game.

[Hibs Class]

The split is a ****in farce in the first place.


:agree: Been saying this since the day the split was first announced. Proper change would have seen expansion of the SPL, introducing the split was just a joke.

[NAE NOOKIE]

I don't have a problem with a split .... I do have a huge problem with the way the fixtures are arranged, to have an imbalance of home and away fixtures kicks sporting integrity right into the long grass, the fact that one team might have to play twice away at Celtic park, Ibrox and Pittodrie and another team in direct competition to them only once at these venues before the split is obviously not right. It has to be a level playing field and that clearly doesn't make for one.

[SJNB Hibby]

I don't have a problem with a split .... I do have a huge problem with the way the fixtures are arranged, to have an imbalance of home and away fixtures kicks sporting integrity right into the long grass, the fact that one team might have to play twice away at Celtic park, Ibrox and Pittodrie and another team in direct competition to them only once at these venues before the split is obviously not right. It has to be a level playing field and that clearly doesn't make for one.

This:agree:

[SouthMoroccoStu]

I want to say that one time we were victims of this too

It might not be how it works but bare with this fractured train of thought....

After the split teams were decided we had played 4 out of the 5 rivals away in the last encounters...

But we ended up with 2 home and 3 away fixtures - away being an obvious disadvantage when you're playing other top 6 rivals

I remember thinking we were short at least 1 home game that year

[Alex Trager]

It's pathetic especially given one of their two darlings has already won the league so it makes no difference if they have another away game.

But it would stop the masses seeing their team lift the league on the last day at home.

So it does matter [emoji102]

[SMAXXA]

But it's what ever club wanted and voted for so Tuff 🙈

[Sir David Gray]

The lack of a split is one of the things that I've actually enjoyed over the past three years and something that I am not looking forward to again next season.

[The Leith Dutch]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39584406

Ross County, fighting relegation, have to play 20 games away from home. Curiously enough, neither Celtic or Rangers have this problem yet again.

When do we get to do away with this shambles?

It's an utterly ridiculous approach to running a league.
I work in London and if I ever try to explain how the SPL works folk look at me like a ******ed hick.

Looking at the standard of the Championship it's not great but can anyone seriously say there is a marked difference between the likes of Hamilton, Ross County, Dundee and Kilmarnock on one hand and the other 8 teams in the Championship outside of us and Dundee Utd?

The difference just isn't there so let's have a proper grown up league of 20 teams who play each other home and away.
I know it's because everyone wants the payday of playing the old firm but if that's how we're approaching football we'd all be as well giving up and just supporting a foreign club or moving over to supporting the egg chasers.

[HFCdeb]

It's an utterly ridiculous approach to running a league.
I work in London and if I ever try to explain how the SPL works folk look at me like a ******ed hick.

Looking at the standard of the Championship it's not great but can anyone seriously say there is a marked difference between the likes of Hamilton, Ross County, Dundee and Kilmarnock on one hand and the other 8 teams in the Championship outside of us and Dundee Utd?

The difference just isn't there so let's have a proper grown up league of 20 teams who play each other home and away.
I know it's because everyone wants the payday of playing the old firm but if that's how we're approaching football we'd all be as well giving up and just supporting a foreign club or moving over to supporting the egg chasers.

Amen to this.

[where'stheslope]

It's an utterly ridiculous approach to running a league.
I work in London and if I ever try to explain how the SPL works folk look at me like a ******ed hick.

Looking at the standard of the Championship it's not great but can anyone seriously say there is a marked difference between the likes of Hamilton, Ross County, Dundee and Kilmarnock on one hand and the other 8 teams in the Championship outside of us and Dundee Utd?

The difference just isn't there so let's have a proper grown up league of 20 teams who play each other home and away.
I know it's because everyone wants the payday of playing the old firm but if that's how we're approaching football we'd all be as well giving up and just supporting a foreign club or moving over to supporting the egg chasers.

In days gone by this was the case,nowadays your rarely see full stadia with Old Firm teams attending!

As they are now on TV every weekend live the fans are not travelling in the same numbers.

Your other comments on Championship to Premiership teams, some of the biggest differences is in attendances, just last weekend there was bigger attendances at 4 Championship grounds than 3 Premiership grounds?

Unfortunately when the Clubs voted for this scenario they did not know who the ring leaders were to be, and yet again its pro Old Firm people who were elected!!!!

[Carheenlea]

Does any other league of reasonable note have a similar split during the season?

[NadeAteMyLunch!]

Does any other league of reasonable note have a similar split during the season?

I don't think there's as ridiculous an idea in any other league in world football in all honesty. It's farcical and needs punted. A 16 or 20 team top league is completely doable

[Col_0762]

I don't think there's as ridiculous an idea in any other league in world football in all honesty. It's farcical and needs punted. A 16 or 20 team top league is completely doable

I'm sure we copied a failed model from Switzerland or somewhere. They done it for a season and then scrapped it as it didn't work. The SPL then decided this was the model to use. As you say, ridiculous!

[Mr White]

Does any other league of reasonable note have a similar split during the season?

Northern Ireland operates an identical system and Belgium, Denmark and Romania have championship/relegation splits too but I'm unsure of the detail compared to the Scottish system.

[poolman]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39584406

Ross County, fighting relegation, have to play 20 games away from home. Curiously enough, neither Celtic or Rangers have this problem yet again.

When do we get to do away with this shambles?

It's just typical of the Neanderthal's running the game

[Green Man]

The Czech first league is looking to outdo the SPFL in the crazy split stakes. In a 16 team league, teams will play each other twice then split into 3 groups, with the prospect of the 10th placed team qualifying for Europe.

[WhileTheChief..]

Nothing wrong with the split, it keeps things more exciting until the end of the season.

The fact that Ross Co have three away games is just the icing on the top if it contributes to them being relegated.

[JDHibs]

Our league structure needs redesigned.

This whole split idea has been a shambles since the start and unheard of anywhere in the world. Causes issues every year and because 7th place are playing alot of crap, and 6th are playing good teams, you usually find 7th place ends up with more points that 6th.

Joke!

[leithsansiro]

League reconstruction needs seriously looked at, but won't be. Those in the SPL at any given time aren't going to vote to not get potentially 4 games against each o the old firm. However, I genuinely doubt any fan in Scotland would come up with the current system as their preferred option, given the choice.

Personally, I'd go for
- 2 leagues of 16, with regional leagues below that (east, west and northern?)
- revamped League Cup with groups (8 groups of 4)
- keep the Scottish Cup as it is
- play the whole lot between start of March and end of November

[H18 SFR]

League reconstruction needs seriously looked at, but won't be. Those in the SPL at any given time aren't going to vote to not get potentially 4 games against each o the old firm. However, I genuinely doubt any fan in Scotland would come up with the current system as their preferred option, given the choice.

Personally, I'd go for
- 2 leagues of 16, with regional leagues below that (east, west and northern?)
- revamped League Cup with groups (8 groups of 4)
- keep the Scottish Cup as it is
- play the whole lot between start of March and end of November

A three month close season would be awful.

[leithsansiro]

A three month close season would be awful.

Effectively, there's nearly a 3 month close season just now

[Eyrie]

League reconstruction needs seriously looked at, but won't be. Those in the SPL at any given time aren't going to vote to not get potentially 4 games against each o the old firm. However, I genuinely doubt any fan in Scotland would come up with the current system as their preferred option, given the choice.

Personally, I'd go for
- 2 leagues of 16, with regional leagues below that (east, west and northern?)
- revamped League Cup with groups (8 groups of 4)
- keep the Scottish Cup as it is
- play the whole lot between start of March and end of November

So we're giving up home league games against Hearts, Aberdeen, Celtc and Sevco for games against Inverness, Morton, Hamilton and Falkirk.

And we're giving up four more home league games for three league cup games (I assume your plan is home and away) against part time opposition.

That has even less appeal than the ridiculous current split.