superward

It's fairer for those who travel clearly. Thsts what I am talking about, not money or anything like that.

No, I said closer. Dingwall to Perth and Dundee are closer and quicker for their fans so it would make sense surely to do them midweek over somewhere 30 min or and hour further away.

My opinions on the old firm stuff in thr other thread are clear. As for the Xmas Eve game. It just seems daft asking Aberdeen to travel that far on a day when everything shuts down early. Surely a trip to Dundee or Edinburgh or Perth is more sensible? Sure that could have been manipulated to happen. For our mid week games I get the point everyone needs to travel and Ross County /Inverness do it every second week. But again a bit of sense would see them swapped around to be weekend games with some closer games moved to midweek. Again it come back to the point that the list is manipulated already to get Derby games at new year etc. So not a huge jump to ensure midweek games are the closest possible for all clubs involved I don't think. If the fixture list was completely random then fine and ye go with it but when it's not is seems daft to come out with certain fixtures. The clubs need to get together and sort it all fucking out but I won't old my breath.

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 So I thought it was all just an unwritten, unpublished agreement/rule/known way of doing it.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.

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.

No, because the whole crux of this issue is that the SPFL are treating the scheduling of home Rangers and Celtic fixtures differently from when they were last both here. The SPFL are the ones who have moved the goalposts.

The point is that they have changed exactly what they used to do when Rangers and Celtic were in the league before!

Couldn't agree more.

I am siding with club on this like I said, but just by a smidgen. If you can't see both sides of the argument then that is more worrying I think. It's clear something changed where there should have been comms on it. But also you could argue we should have questioned it. But where does that stop? Question every cup draw before it happens for example? "Neil, can I just check we still go in at the 4th round like we always have done cause I am assuming that? Aye, cheers" Anyway I am off for a pint. Top 6 nae bother either way and we will be near fine.

So we question every single process and decision made by the SPFL then? I guess we might have to if they are changing previously understood agreements on process.

Take the Rangers name out of it. If something was always done in a certain way to 2 people for the benefit of 10 other people, then it stopped but only because 1 of the 2 involved dropped out then I would assume it would kick in again most definitely when they came back unless told otherwise. Why would you assume any different? You could argue if you assume it is changing you are basing that on the fact that it has been done that way for the last few years..which is pretty much the same argument as saying 'you can't assume just because it's always been done that way' There is definitely a reason for the 'never assume anyting' saying. So we will have to question every single SPFL decision I guess...being dramatic but there has to be a line of assumption somewhere. There is definitely 2 sides to the argument and I am probably 60/40 on the club side. I do however see the negative and chasing the blue/green pound connotation.

Not having Celtic at home twice? It's not just about Rangers games which a lot of people seem to be getting focused on elsewhere too. I do think they will be a sterner task than Ross County come end of the August transfer window, however, no matter what anyone says. Incidentally I'd rather have Ross County twice at home as well. Any team at home is better than any team away. League cup game will include home gate as well remember, rather than those all being season tickets so will help a bit.

I think it's a fair budgeting assumption to make (if we did that) given how Rangers and Celtic games were treated in all SPL fixture scheduling in previous years before Rangers disappeared. It definitely does sound like we are chasing the pound but Burrows does also point about and competitive advantage. It's a fact we, and others, take more points off the old firm at home. So it's a big factor given we only have them twice and others 4 times. Sad thing is all this could have been resolved had the SPFL communicated they were not going to follow the same fixture planning that was previously followed in the SPL. You could also argue of course they are just following what they did last year without Rangers in it. But I do think there is an argument on both sides here. Again...SPFL manipulate the fixtures currently to fit so it's left so open to question. Good thing is, from a budget perspective, we have the Rangers League Cup game. So even if we recently plugged that ino a budget as extra it shouldn't be too much a jump to effectively use that to plug any gap we may have.

I agree in principle. But in this example its not changing to suit our needs at all. It's changing and not benefiting us and a couple of all other teams. If the SPL used to manipulate the fixtures for the benefit of all the teams having 3 old firm home games, and nothing else has changed with the fixtures scheduling since the SPFL arrived, all I am saying is its a fair assumption to make that it would go back to happening again. If the SPFL had completely stopped manipulating fixtures and it was actually random (based on the last season) then fine but clearly the SPFL still manipulate fixtures (e.g. derby day at new year, opening day). So, it just leaves them open to question. Anyway, we'll get on with it and it'll be fine. Just a tad annoying from a commercial perspective IF it isn't balance post split.

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I think after reflecting and reading everything it seems a fair assumption to me to make that we should have expected more than just 2 home games against the old firm pre split if, as said, whe it was the SPL they did used to ensure the non old Firm clubs always got 3 home fixtures from both of them. So, now both teams are back you would expect that to continue I guess. That said, I do know what people are saying about Rangers just taking Dundee Utd's place. So from an SPFL fixtures point of view they would be basing it on Rangers finishing in the bottom 6 come split, and only having to give us home fixtures v Aberdeen and Celtic post split to match it up. Realistically Rangers will be there too and I will be surprised if we get the 3 home games. Love the split! The problem the SPFL has it that the system isn't random so it will always be questioned. It's based on previous seasons as has been pointed out. But also, they have manipulated it at new year to get derby matches. So you could argue it could be manipulated again.

I take that back actually. I fell into the trap of messaging while meant to be working and hadn't really read everything.

Burrows has said on Twitter that the problem is that they aren't random.

Aye, then got screwed by the SPFL 'computer' same as a couple of other teams. Pish.

Missed it. Fair play!

Also, he likely didn't write the headline. Just the copy text.

Richard Tait, a right back, from Grimsby rumoured to be coming in.

He is murder though

It's only cause you always us hit us with stats. Haha.

That's my only negative. It stops the development perhaps. However, we 100% need better backup than just Moore and Mackin.