Fixtures 2016/17

[Lobey_Dosser]

Something could have been done in advance. A simple phone call to the SPFL was all it took. "I see Rangers are back in the league. Are we getting the fixtures to fit in 3 OF home games or do they effectively take the place of Utd, as happens with every other newly promoted team?" A 10 minute phone call, if that.

 

But no, all we get is "we were never told about it", "we assumed as that's how it's always been". For the board at a company with a multi-million pound turnover, to be gambling over £120k (a fair amount to the football club) on an assumption is unbelievably imcompentent, IMO.

Precisely, I struggle to comprehend how anyone can read this any other way. Since Rangers were liquidated in 2012 a number of things have changed.

 

The SPL joined ranks with the lower league clubs to become the SPFL. A number of rules would have been tweaked accordingly. Surely all clubs should have checked that the unwritten rules remained in place.

 

Even if it were the same governing body as 5 years ago, Motherwell have went through a takeover and now have a very different board. Surely you clarify any areas of doubt when income is at stake?

 

It would appear that Burrows lead on the ST increase to accommodate 3 'category A' games. So he's assumed this based on an unwritten rule that was last in place when he was head of comms. Really poor planning in my opinion.

[Goggles & Flippers]

Or there was an assumption that the body responsible for officiating a sporting competition would do as they always had in the interests of fair play.

[stuwell]

Most of us agreed (correctly in my opinion) that Rangers should be be demoted. A much used phrase was sporting integrity and they shouldn't get any special treatment - lets just leave the whole should they have been allowed in debate out for the moment.

So I don't see how we can now argue making them a special case and tuning the fixtures to suit.

Yes we've got the shite end of the stick but that happens - would we be complaining if Dundee were in our place? I think the words sporting integrity would be being used to say it was fair they took the team that dropped outs place as previously has happened.

Also we should now have a more winnable game at home which means we could potentially be 3 points better off come the split.

I don't see that the SPFL have done anything wrong apart from maybe not contacting all the clubs with a hint regarding this once it was realised allowing much of this be discussed in private rather that public.

[Well Up For It!]

 

I wouldn't assume. I'd ask for clarification. "Hi lads, I see that's The Rangers back in the top division. what's the script with the fixtures? Same as last time or nah? K thx."

Back? First time in top flight.

 

Old Firm stuff is not ideal, but with fixture reversal it will flip next year and then we benefit and it was the current system.

 

The think that the SPFL needs held to account for is the absolute ridiculous fixtures over the festive period, Aberdeen at Fir Park, us up at Inverness, Ross County at Celtic, etc.

 

Essentially it systematically decreasing attendances with insane logic. Thats the real farce for me. And doubt anyone at the SPFL would have even thought about this to be honest - to busy getting priorities of the bigot brothers nailed down.

[MelvinBragg]

The fixtures are what they are. The club has embarrassed itself here. They should now shut up and move on with getting players in and strips released, something that would actually make us look like a functioning football club...

[capt_oats]

Back? First time in top flight.

Fair point. Error on my part. I won't let it happen again.

[Wellfan1984]

Or there was an assumption that the body responsible for officiating a sporting competition would do as they always had in the interests of fair play.

Which they have. Rangers (even if you class them as not a new club) have never played in the Premiership. They have, correctly taken the place of Dundee United. If Motherwell and Patrick Thistle were to stupid to know this it's not the SPFL's fault

[something else]

No, they've followed the rules they've always had.

Rangers were not allowed into the SPL because they are not a special case.

Now you want to change the fixtures because they are a special case!

They are club 12, it's not difficult to understand. Was there a debate about tying in Celtic/Hearts home & away last season?

Motherwell's 'statement' befits a small time club.

Spot on.

[dennyc]

Just embarrassing.

 

All the talk about extra income from the massive Rangers support which will invade Fir Park does not take into account that a large number of their fans were already planning to boycott Fir Park next season. The statement from MFC and the chatter on here will only toughen their resolve in that regard and strengthen their sense of injustice at being seen as cash cows that Scottish football depends upon. Given the additional stewarding/police expenditure and the lower the anticipated usual number of away fans I doubt we would make anything like the sums quoted. As far as the League Cup goes, factor in the cut being syphoned off by the SPFL and the sharing of gate money, and the surplus is likely to be even smaller. I take it it is Rangers we have been deprived of hosting twice as they are the promoted team and the balance appears correct given recent fixtures against Celtic.

 

As for our likely rivals for the top six gaining an advantage, are they likely to take more points from a home match against Rangers or Celtic than we are in our additional pre split game at Fir park against the likes of Accies, Dundee or Caley?

 

I also wonder if the same noises would be coming out of Fir Park if we were in the position of those clubs who are getting the "extra" Rangers/Celtic home match pre split.

[weeyin]

No, they've followed the rules they've always had.

Rangers were not allowed into the SPL because they are not a special case.

Now you want to change the fixtures because they are a special case!

They are club 12, it's not difficult to understand. Was there a debate about tying in Celtic/Hearts home & away last season?

Motherwell's 'statement' befits a small time club.

Of course Rangers are a special case. The TV broadcasts have changed this season (no live Championship matches) and we have to deal with the ridiculous split every season just because the league and the TV companies wanted 4 OF matches.

 

Not to mention the unfair distribution of cash in the game which, again, is entirely due to Rangers (and their ugly sister).

[superward]

No, they've followed the rules they've always had.

Rangers were not allowed into the SPL because they are not a special case.

Now you want to change the fixtures because they are a special case!

They are club 12, it's not difficult to understand. Was there a debate about tying in Celtic/Hearts home & away last season?

Motherwell's 'statement' befits a small time club.

But they haven't followed the rules they always have.....that's the crux if the statement.

 

When Celtic and Rangers were last in the league the rule was always 3 old firm games at home pre-split for all the other teams!

 

Wether people think Rangers are the same club or not now is irrelevant as in the SPFL ruling they are the same club. Therefore same rules should apply as when they were last here.

 

Take all the emotion out of it, all the finance chat. The SPFL moved the goalposts compared to the last time they were here. Simple as that.

[Lobey_Dosser]

But they haven't followed the rules they always have.....that's the crux if the statement.

 

When Celtic and Rangers were last in the league the rule was always 3 old firm games at home pre-split for all the other teams!

 

Wether people think Rangers are the same club or not now is irrelevant as in the SPFL ruling they are the same club. Therefore same rules should apply as when they were last here.

 

Take all the emotion out of it, all the finance chat. The SPFL moved the goalposts compared to the last time they were here. Simple as that.

It wasn't a rule though, it was an unwritten agreement. An agreement that evaporated the day we rightly deemed Rangers not to be a special case.

[Waldo]

But they haven't followed the rules they always have.....that's the crux if the statement.

 

When Celtic and Rangers were last in the league the rule was always 3 old firm games at home pre-split for all the other teams!

 

Wether people think Rangers are the same club or not now is irrelevant as in the SPFL ruling they are the same club. Therefore same rules should apply as when they were last here.

 

Take all the emotion out of it, all the finance chat. The SPFL moved the goalposts compared to the last time they were here. Simple as that.

There was no such rule.

You are suggesting Flow tries to use a non existent SPL rule to take on the SPFL.

"Aye, thanks Mr Burrows, toodle off now"

BTW, I never mentioned Sevco/Rangers. They are club 12, in the same way we are club 5.The are classed as the new bottom six team.

[Brazilian]

When Celtic and Rangers were last in the league the rule was always 3 old firm games at home pre-split for all the other teams!

 

 

Celtic and Rangers have never been in this SPFL Premiership league together, so this mythical rule, which i doubt was ever a rule, wasn't ever applied in this league.

 

and as for those peddling the fair play, sporting balance nonsense have you ever even looked at our league system? go analyse the matches played over the last 16 years there has never been fair play regarding fixture selection - rolling out the fair play line is pathetic , in a country where league football hasn't had fair play in sporting balance sense for a couple of decades.

 

and lets remember we are ever present voting members of this shambles in all it's formats, this is what you get manipulating for the league to make commericial gains, unfair fixtures and supporters being shafted ( and every season individual clubs being financially worse off that some others )

 

and thats why I'm pissed off, that once again the fans have been shafted and its even the last thought regarding fixtures on the minds of our very own wanna be supporter owned clubs board

 

Edit : makes even more of a mockery pitching season tickets against the minimum three category A matches or Category 1 matches if you read a different page on the official site

[dennyc]

"Take all the emotion out of it, all the finance chat. The SPFL moved the goalposts compared to the last time they were here. Simple as that."

 

The last time they were in the top division, they were not the promoted team. From what folk on here have said, Rangers have been handed the same fixture arrangements as any other promoted team. So the authorities might have broken an unwritten rule adopted to suit the less well off teams but it appears they did actually follow the correct procedures. Under the ridiculous top/bottom six set up you get some teams twice at home pre split and some only once. This time we were unlucky (or lucky as some may think) enough to get Rangers just the once. Maybe our Board should have clarified that point before setting this season's Budget. Time to let it go and move on.

 

As for the SFA/SPFL/SPL or whatever body you care to mention pandering to Rangers and Celtic, that has always been the case and is likely to be the case forever more. Cancellation of League fixtures to facilitate lucrative Friendlies, TV deals and the Voting Criteria are ongoing examples. With Rangers out of the picture, the other Clubs (MFC included) had the opportunity to right some of the wrongs, but chose not to. Remember also, Motherwell only reluctantly agreed to Rangers' demotion due to fan pressure. The Club actively sought to retain Rangers in the SPL. It's not only the Scottish Authorities that bow before the Old Firm.

 

And forget sporting integrity. It's all about money. Mark McGhee stated at his "Meet The fans Evening" that he and the bulk of SPFL managers (in line with most fans) would much prefer a 16 or 18 team League, both from a football development point of view and to avoid meeting the same teams up to six times a season. He also stated that was unlikely to happen as Club Boards could not see beyond playing four home matches a season against Celtic and Rangers. That's Scottish Football for you. I don't like it either, but we appear to be stuck with it.

[mjw]

With Rangers out of the picture, the other Clubs (MFC included) had the opportunity to right some of the wrongs, but chose not to.

 

Not entirely true.

Aberdeen saw a chance to be relevant again and jumped in Rangers shoes to block some changes. Did the the 10-2 voting structure not change though when the leagues merged?

[alls_well]

If, as some people are saying that Rangers took over Dundee Uniteds fixtures then I assume they will be predicted to finish in the bottom 6. If they finish top 6 then the theoretical possibility could exist where they could have an uneven split of home/away games. They could also end up playing Celtic 3 times away. Do you think that'll happen, not in a million years. The SPFL will rearrange everyone's fixtures to make sure the big two aren't inconvenienced.

[superward]

It wasn't a rule though, it was an unwritten agreement. An agreement that evaporated the day we rightly deemed Rangers not to be a special case.

Maybe my use of the world rule here is wrong. But I don't believe it's in the SPFL rule book at all regarding how any of the league fixtures are determined (wether that's the club 12 thing, or the old firm thing or anything else). From having a look quickly the other day that seems to be the case. It just says the fixtures will be provided to the clubs. So I thought it was all just an unwritten, unpublished agreement/rule/known way of doing it.

 

Happy to told otherwise though.

[dennyc]

Not entirely true.

Aberdeen saw a chance to be relevant again and jumped in Rangers shoes to block some changes. Did the the 10-2 voting structure not change though when the leagues merged?

I agree some changes were made when the SPFL arrangements were put in place. From memory (and I might be wrong) voting requirements for some minor things were amended when Rangers crashed and burned, but other major voting changes were not put through. I think that Aberdeen made it known that they would veto certain changes, probably through a belief that they would benefit substantially from the status quo, and so no votes on some issues were ever actually taken.

Kind of confirms my point though that Clubs, ours included, act in their own interest. Sporting integrity has nothing to do with it and the wishes of fans are often set aside. With the Aberdeen blocking move, many of their fans were as outraged as those of other clubs that meaningful change would not be made.

[twistandshout1983]

Some of the fixtures are a joke, ICT and Ross Co away on midweek nights along with Aberdeen travelling to Fir Park on Christmas eve shows no thought for the people who travel to away games.

[Wellfan1984]

Not to mention the unfair distribution of cash in the game which, again, is entirely due to Rangers (and their ugly sister).

No it isn't. Motherwell are to blame as much as Rangers or Celtic. People need to stop blaming the woes of the league on those two clubs. All clubs that formed the SPL and then expanded the SPL are equally to blame for our current place in football

[Juan Kerse]

If, as some people are saying that Rangers took over Dundee Uniteds fixtures then I assume they will be predicted to finish in the bottom 6. If they finish top 6 then the theoretical possibility could exist where they could have an uneven split of home/away games. They could also end up playing Celtic 3 times away. Do you think that'll happen, not in a million years. The SPFL will rearrange everyone's fixtures to make sure the big two aren't inconvenienced.

That could easily happen to us. IF we get to the top 6 we might not get these Rangers and Celtic games at FP. Just because we are DUE them at home won't mean we will get them. So we could have 4 trips to Ibrox/Celtic Park ore split and THEORETICALLY another 2 post split.

 

More like to happen to us than any of them. I read before that since the SPL 12 team league began EVERY team has had seasons of 3/1 away/home to a team or 18/20 home to away games EXCEPT Rangers or Celtic. Everything's always been 2/2, 18/8 or better in their favour.

 

That's an abomination of sporting integrity.

[Yabba's Turd]

No it isn't. Motherwell are to blame as much as Rangers or Celtic. People need to stop blaming the woes of the league on those two clubs. All clubs that formed the SPL and then expanded the SPL are equally to blame for our current place in football

In 1981 gate sharing was stopped. It's time league gates were pooled and distributed among teams, the league should be the business not the teams.

[A Well Fan]

Rangers have been given Dundee Utds fixtures, in line with the process that has been in place for many years. The only thing that has been adjusted is the order.

In 2013/14, we had two home games against Hearts, but when Dundee replaced them the following season we had two home games again. Also in 2013/14, we were given two away games against Dundee United, then had two away against them again the following season.

[Wellfan1984]

In 2013/14, we had two home games against Hearts, but when Dundee replaced them the following season we had two home games again. Also in 2013/14, we were given two away games against Dundee United, then had two away against them again the following season.

Hibernian / Hamilton.