ian1964 10,486 Posted April 20, 2009 Author Share Posted April 20, 2009 The SPL champions always play at home first the following season to unfurl the SPL flag meaning the runners up play at home on the last game of the season. Well, that was pre-split anyway. So we'll have played Hibs three time at Easter Road then? Are Celtic playing any club 3 times away from home this season? I don't think the MOPES have ever played away three times in a season ????? 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Barr 0 Posted April 20, 2009 Share Posted April 20, 2009 The SPL champions always play at home first the following season to unfurl the SPL flag meaning the runners up play at home on the last game of the season. Well, that was pre-split anyway. So we'll have played Hibs three time at Easter Road then? Are Celtic playing any club 3 times away from home this season? Hearts? hibs? 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
craig 5,199 Posted April 20, 2009 Share Posted April 20, 2009 Hearts? hibs? It can't be Hearts as they are at home to Hearts in their last game are they not ? Which means they have had at least two home games against them. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CammyF 7,015 Posted April 20, 2009 Share Posted April 20, 2009 Celtc have NEVER played a team away three times in a season. After the MOPES complaining about Rangers defeating DAFC at Ibrox 6-1 to clinch the SPL title, whilst they were away to Killie, the SPL stated that both OF teams would be away from home last game of the season to avoid conspiracy theories. Celtc are playing the games that they were supposed to be playing - i.e. none of their fixtures have been moved or reversed. All teams are required to play 19 home games and 19 away games. I have an idea for next season, maybe the SPL should just ask Liewell to arrange all the fixtures and let him decide if / when who plays who. It's the only way the MOPES will stop moaning. Cammy F 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super_Ally 0 Posted April 20, 2009 Share Posted April 20, 2009 Boogie suspended for Hearts at home then. Pick your back four! Whittaker Weir Broafoot Papac The one defender you don't want to be missing. Hopefully it wont cost us and the wee rest will do him good for the OF. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gazza_8 233 Posted April 20, 2009 Share Posted April 20, 2009 Is Broadfoot fit again? Whittaker.....Weir.....Papac.....Smith. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super_Ally 0 Posted April 20, 2009 Share Posted April 20, 2009 Is Broadfoot fit again? Whittaker.....Weir.....Papac.....Smith. Dunno. Was hoping he might be by then. Really don't fancy Papac at CB. Would take Dailly or McCulloch in there before him. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
craig 5,199 Posted April 20, 2009 Share Posted April 20, 2009 Posted this elsewhere...... Their reasoning for ebing disadvantages is two-fold and spurious at best. 1. Hearts are 3rd whilst Hibs are 6th - so we are being advantaged by being at home to the "better" capital team. 2. Hearts beat us at Tynecastle so it is only fair that we should go back to Tynecastle to give us a game which, on paper, is more difficult and, thus, more chance of dropping points and gifting them the title. Re #1 - Celtic play : 1. Aberdeen away - this will mean 2 home and 2 away (lost in other away game) 2. Rangers away - this will mean 2 home and 2 away (won other away game) 3. Dundee Utd home -this will mean 2 home and 2 away (drew other home game) 4. Hibs away - this will mean 2 home and 2 away (lost other away game) 5. Hearts home - this will mean 2 home and 2 away (drew other home game) Rangers play : 1. Hearts home - this will mean 3 home and 1 away (won and drew other home games) 2. Celtic home - this will mean 2 home and 2 away (lost other home game) 3. Hibs away - this will mean 1 home and 3 away (won and won other away games) 4. Aberdeen home - this will mean 2 home and 2 away (won other home game) 5. Dundee Utd away - this will mean 2 home and 2 away (drew other away game) Now, if the Tims were to have their way and we had to play Hearts away from home then the situation gets sticky - it means that one of our other away fixtures would also have to be moved so that we get 19 home and 19 away fixtures. The only fixtures this could apply to would be Celtic, Hibs or Dundee Utd. Given there is no way the Celtic game would be changed to an away game leaves only Utd and Hibs. Going by the reports the only way we can play Hearts away and have it work would be for the Edinburgh derby to be switched to Easter Road. So if that game were switched to Easter Road then Hibs need to have a game moved to even their games out. So the Hibs game would need to go to Ibrox. This would leave Dundee Utd without any changes. However, would it really be fair for the Edinburgh derby to be played on one ground 3 times in the one season ? And just to accommodate Celtic's wishes to have us play the hardest game (in their opinion) away from home ? Would they be happy to have the OF game at Ibrox 3 times in one season ? I doubt it. But ask any Hearts or Hibs supporter what the most important game of the season is.... it wil be the derby - so why should they shift the derby and have it inequitably at Easter Road 3 times just to accommodate a PERCEIVED disadvantage from the Tims ? You couldn't make this stuff up. I might be wrong with some of the above, apologies if so. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
craig 5,199 Posted April 20, 2009 Share Posted April 20, 2009 Dunno. Was hoping he might be by then. Really don't fancy Papac at CB. Would take Dailly or McCulloch in there before him. Don't fancy Papac at CB either to be fair. If Smith had brought Webster in for some of the "easier" games then he could have been ready to slot into the back 4. But as he has remained with the same personnel pretty much the whole season it is difficult to do. Will likely be Dailly. Actually I would prefer Hemdani in there than Papac - and he hasnt played all year ! 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
H1ndy 0 Posted April 21, 2009 Share Posted April 21, 2009 the lastest from the scum bags - from the mail Celtic have sparked Old Firm fury as they lodged an unprecedented official complaint with the SPL about Rangers' postsplit fixtures. As both sides prepare for a dramatic five-match sprint for the title with just a point separating them, the Parkhead club wrote to the league body expressing 'surprise' after it was revealed their rivals have avoided a perilous trip to Tynecastle to face third-placed Hearts. Gordon Strachan's SPL champions believe the Ibrox side have been handed an unfair advantage in the run-in, which was announced on Sunday, after the plit handed them a third home match against the Edinburgh side. Celtic are furious at the decision, which saves Walter Smith's men from playing again at a venue where they lost in November. The anomaly comes from the need to balance Hearts' and Hibs' fixtures to ensure they both play 19 games at home and away. This could have been done in one move by making Hearts play at Easter Road for the third time this season, but the SPL were keen to avoid switching the Edinburgh derby. A Parkhead spokesman said: 'Clearly, we are quite surprised at the scheduling of matches and we have written to the SPL to get an understanding of their rationale. However, as they always have, Gordon Strachan and the players will get on with it.' Meanwhile, Sportsmail also understands Rangers have made an unofficial protest to the SPL that they have only two days of a gap between vital games with Hibs and Aberdeen, while Celtic have been given four days between fixtures on the same week. SPL chief executive Iain Blair was forced to break off from a Clydesdale Bank SPL function to address the issue - with Blair and league chairman Lex Gold having drawn up the post-split fixtures with no input from the clubs. 'Celtic have written to us formally to inquire about the post-split fixtures and how they were sorted out,' said Blair. SPL chief executive Iain Blair 'I cannot remember us ever previously being asked publicly by a club to explain fixtures. But, of course, they are our shareholders and, if they ask questions, then we will respond to those. 'When we sit down, what we are looking for is the best overall solution for the SPL as a whole. Our primary concern is 19 home and 19 away games for each club. That was laid down as the paramount issue by the clubs themselves as long ago as 2000. That is what they wanted and we made it a priority this season. 'There is an alternative to Hearts playing three times at Rangers but that would involve reversing an Edinburgh derby fixture from Tynecastle to Easter Road. How would the Old Firm feel about that happening to one of their derbies?' Ibrox officials are not pleased that Rangers meet Hibs in Edinburgh on May 13, just three days before a Saturday home game with Aberdeen, while Celtic play on the Tuesday and Sunday of that same week. But that particular complaint will cut little ice as Celtic also have only two days' recovery time between the Old Firm derby at Ibrox on May 9 and the visit of Dundee United on May 12. The controversy comes on the back of a scheduling row last season, which was complicated by Rangers' lengthy European run. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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