The Split

[Unicorn 206]

Splitters!

[onevision 1,447]

I have always said that if there was to be a split then the outstanding fixtures are how they should be played out, none of this playing 3 times against any team home or away.

Of course there is a chance that the fixtures could then be fixed in the hope of giving a certain team home advantage in the run in.

[Gonzo79 13,679]

I've never liked the split.  I'd much prefer an 18 team league with only home and away matches but realise it's highly unlikely.  

 

 

Edited February 22, 2018 by Gonzo79

[Rousseau 9,390]

12 hours ago, Uilleam said:

The Split is bananas.

[Rousseau 9,390]

It's not so much the Split, per se -- it works reasonably well in Belgium -- it's their desperation to have as many Old Firm games (and games against the Old Firm) as possible that's making it unfair and mental, in a League that has too few teams for it to work.  

[buster. 4,808]

There is always some hullaballo pushed in a controversy hungry media, who seldom want to talk about the game itself.

 

The split has been around for quite a few years now and has survived league reconstruction so whilst it's imperfect, it obviously has some plus points.

 

The real issue about the split in Scottish football is that we need it to be competitive more often than not.

We can't continually have a Championship already won before the last round of fixtures begins. 

[Frankie 8,153]

Worth reading Chris' thread if you haven't seen it already on this:

 

 

[Yorkie Bear 512]

The problem with the split is that Scottish football is so unbalanced. Everyone want to play Rangers and Celtic at home for the increased gate money so the SPFL have to second guess who will be in the top 6 so that those in the bottom 6 have had 3 old firm home games.  Some may be aggrieved that 2 out of their 3 were with Celtic and not the mighty but that’s tough.

 

The 4 teams outside the old firm in the top 6 should then get their 2 home games against both Rangers and Celtic. The fixtures between the four of them should sort themselves out with hopefully 2 home games but if that’s not possible for everyone, I can’t see it really matters as it’s all about gate receipts and whether Kilmarnock have 1, 2 or 3 games against Hibs doesn’t really matter.

 

If as a result of this set up we or Celtic have to play 5 away games then so be it. We will have played an equal number of home and away against the other top 6 clubs. If home advantage was all that it’s taken to be, we would have had an advantage in the earlier part of the season which would be reflected in our table position, but life is not that simple.

We have won 6/13 at home and 10/14 away.

Celtic have won 9/14 at home and 9/13 away

Aberdeen have won 8/13 at home and 8/14 away

Hibs have won  6/13 at home and 7/14 away

Hearts have won 5/13 at home and 4/14 away

Kilmarnock have won 5/13 at home and 4/12 away

 

So let’s not get hung up on playing at home in the final fixtures. Take the view that whatever they may throw at us, we will prevail.

[DMAA 3,603]

4 hours ago, Frankie said:

Worth reading Chris' thread if you haven't seen it already on this:

 

 

His last updated tweet, is he correcting himself to saying that we played away 8 times out of 12??

And Celtic only once in 12 seasons?

Edited February 22, 2018 by DMAA

[DMAA 3,603]

1 hour ago, Yorkie Bear said:

The problem with the split is that Scottish football is so unbalanced. Everyone want to play Rangers and Celtic at home for the increased gate money so the SPFL have to second guess who will be in the top 6 so that those in the bottom 6 have had 3 old firm home games.  Some may be aggrieved that 2 out of their 3 were with Celtic and not the mighty but that’s tough.

 

The 4 teams outside the old firm in the top 6 should then get their 2 home games against both Rangers and Celtic. The fixtures between the four of them should sort themselves out with hopefully 2 home games but if that’s not possible for everyone, I can’t see it really matters as it’s all about gate receipts and whether Kilmarnock have 1, 2 or 3 games against Hibs doesn’t really matter.

 

If as a result of this set up we or Celtic have to play 5 away games then so be it. We will have played an equal number of home and away against the other top 6 clubs. If home advantage was all that it’s taken to be, we would have had an advantage in the earlier part of the season which would be reflected in our table position, but life is not that simple.

We have won 6/13 at home and 10/14 away.

Celtic have won 9/14 at home and 9/13 away

Aberdeen have won 8/13 at home and 8/14 away

Hibs have won  6/13 at home and 7/14 away

Hearts have won 5/13 at home and 4/14 away

Kilmarnock have won 5/13 at home and 4/12 away

 

So let’s not get hung up on playing at home in the final fixtures. Take the view that whatever they may throw at us, we will prevail.

It's crazy how little home advantage there seems to be across the top 6! Hearts have a minimal advantage and Killie (depending on their next away result), Hibs and Rangers a disadvantage and Aberdeen and and Celtic indifferent. Bizarre.