How Are The Scottish Premiership Post-split Fixtures Decided?

ByClive Lindsay

BBC Sport Scotland

It is that clip of nan twelvemonth again erstwhile nan Scottish Premiership splits into 2 sections of six teams and the arguments statesman immediately astir which squad nan last 5 rounds of fixtures favour.

It is not a random determination made by a computer. It is nan governing body, nan SPFL who make nan last call, successful consultation pinch authorities holders who want nan champion games connected unrecorded TV and nan police.

The "who plays who" is evidently pre-determined, but nan wherever and erstwhile is nan consequence of galore variables that person to beryllium cautiously considered and tin time off nan SPFL unfastened to accusations of bias, favouritism, moreover conspiracy.

Reacting to Tuesday's post-split fixture reveal, Hearts caput coach Derek McInnes acknowledged immoderate fans will beryllium disappointed that nan inclination to springiness nan convention leaders going into nan divided a location crippled connected nan last time had not been adhered to.

However, he besides accepted that nan SPFL faces an intolerable task to please each 12 clubs and their fans. But really is it each decided?

In its erstwhile guise arsenic nan Scottish Premier League, nan apical formation had 10 clubs. That made a 36-game play pinch teams gathering 4 times. Ideal.

Then nan section expanded to 12 for play 2000-01. And a 44-game run was deemed excessively long.

So an innovative divided was introduced aft nan teams had met connected 3 occasions. After that, nan apical six would play 5 much games among themselves and nan bottommost six would do nan same.

It meant nan apical six were near playing for nan title and European qualification places, while nan bottommost six were trying to debar nan 1 automatic relegation spot and nan relegation/promotion play-off against a Championship side.

Upon their merchandise of nan fixtures, nan SPFL pointed retired that nan divided usually provides further excitement, pinch clubs battling for a top-six spot up until nan 33rd fixture. Albeit Falkirk secured nan last spot pinch a crippled to spare this time.

However, cleaving nan section successful 2 aft 33 matches tin besides nutrient immoderate anomalies...

Clubs play 16 aliases 17 location games successful nan 33 earlier nan divided - pinch a minimum of two, and a maximum of three, location fixtures aft it.

Ideally, they should play 19 of each by nan season's end, but that is not ever imaginable - and this is nan 2nd play successful a statement that location has been an imbalance.

In compiling its first fixtures, nan SPFL tries to foretell which clubs will extremity up successful nan apical six and bottommost six to champion debar specified a scenario, but this play promoted Falkirk person overperformed and beryllium successful sixth spot.

As a consequence, they will play 20 location games and Livingston will person 18.

Not ideal, but nan SPFL explained that they person opted for that to mitigate nan effect spreading excessively widely.

With Falkirk 5 points adrift of Hibernian, an other location crippled is nan slightest apt script to impact European qualification. And Livingston having 1 less location crippled intends small fixed they are each but relegated already.

The Scottish apical formation has had specified a 20/18 script successful astir half of its seasons.

It besides intends immoderate sides play definite opponents 3 times astatine location and erstwhile distant - aliases vice versa. Cue howls of complaint.

Such fixture reversals person been required successful each play since nan divided was introduced successful 2000-01 and this clip location are 4 reversals successful nan apical six.

Falkirk will big Rangers and Hibernian for a 3rd time, and recreation to Celtic Park and Tynecastle for a 3rd time.

There are besides 3 reversals successful nan bottom-six - Livingston will recreation to Dundee and Dundee United for a 3rd clip and Kilmarnock will big Dundee a 3rd time.

In coming up pinch those, nan SPFL tries to debar reversing fixtures that person a cardinal effect connected nan battles for nan title, European places and relegation.

It besides tries to debar reversing nan large metropolis derbies and whitethorn besides return into relationship really clubs person been impacted by nan post-split fixtures successful erstwhile years.

Live tv sum is besides taken into information and McInnes is unhappy Hearts will not person a azygous accepted Saturday 15:00 kick-off aft nan split.

Premier Sports person announced 3 unrecorded post-split broadcasts, while Sky Sports has confirmed six, pinch further selections for nan last 2 rounds of games to come.

With Celtic v Falkirk selected for unrecorded broadcast connected Saturday, 25 April, it besides intends nan Rangers v Motherwell lucifer has been switched to nan Sunday.

That is because Police Scotland will not licence some Old Firm clubs being astatine location connected nan aforesaid day.

McInnes said he is conscionable happy for his astonishment long-time leaders to beryllium progressive successful a three-way title race, pinch Rangers 1 constituent down and Celtic 2 further back.

However, he recognised that immoderate Hearts fans are unhappy that they person to recreation to Celtic Park connected nan last day, erstwhile they are apt to only beryllium allowed 600 visiting fans against nan reigning champions.

The SPFL says Celtic person been fixed a location lucifer connected nan last time partially because they person 3 location matches post-split and Hearts and Rangers only person 2 - but besides mention "competing constraints and nan astir breathtaking title title successful years making each fixture information very unpredictable".

So what are these constraints it has to balance?

"We person a awesome last time to look guardant to pinch Celtic and Hearts facing disconnected astatine Celtic Park, Rangers travelling to a Falkirk broadside that person been 1 of nan occurrence stories of nan play and a imaginable conflict for European spots astatine Easter Road," nan SPFL added successful a connection explaining nan decisions.