Getting shafted

[Returnofrros]

For 3rd home fixture.

On the cards

[islaydarkblue]

For 3rd home fixture.

On the cards

How have you worked that out.

[Dodbroon]

For 3rd home fixture.

On the cards

Most definitely on the cards. Rules are that if possible all teams play 19 home 19 away. That's impossible this season even if the DABs did the very unlikely and overtake Falkirk. Even if that happened there will be four clubs in the bottom 6 sitting on 16 home 17 away making it impossible to satisfy a 19:19 season for all clubs. Killie and United (or Falkirk) are on 17 h 16 a at the split and one of the rules is that no team after the split will end up with only one further home game. That leaves one of Aberdeen, St. Mirren, Livingston or us to lose a home fixture and end with an 18:20 season. This is usually sorted out if a team is in no danger of relegation or indeed already doomed getting the short straw. It is possible that Livi will be relegated before the split but if not it then comes down to which teams have lost out in the past or gained a home fixture. Iirc we have 'gained' in the past and not lost out on a fixture. Not sure about the other three teams involved. Where we could get shafted imo is that gaining a fixture in a previous season which may have involved no real advantage taking into account league position does not equate to losing a home game when there is still the possibility of falling into the play off spot.

Often the outcome of this situation is not the simple switching of a single fixture but a more extensive upheaval. It is possible that even if we still get 3 home games it won't be Killie, St. Mirren and Aberdeen as expected, maybe Livi at home for a third time and away 3 times to one of the others.

It is possible that we lose the next two games, end up right in the mix and be asked to visit one of the three for a third time. The best scenarios would be us to win our next two games, obviously, but not likely, Livi to lose their next two games (likely) and St. Mirren and Killie get 4 points each effectively relegating Livi (not likely) or to find out that we are not the only club due to lose a home fixture and 'get lucky' in a draw for said loss of fixture.

What I don't want to end up with is say going to Killie 3 times meaning 2 home St Mirren and Aberdeen and away to the rest with two games on these plastic abominations masquerading as football pitches and having to play the DABs on that midden of a pitch next door.

[Returnofrros]

Most definitely on the cards. Rules are that if possible all teams play 19 home 19 away. That's impossible this season even if the DABs did the very unlikely and overtake Falkirk. Even if that happened there will be four clubs in the bottom 6 sitting on 16 home 17 away making it impossible to satisfy a 19:19 season for all clubs. Killie and United (or Falkirk) are on 17 h 16 a at the split and one of the rules is that no team after the split will end up with only one further home game. That leaves one of Aberdeen, St. Mirren, Livingston or us to lose a home fixture and end with an 18:20 season. This is usually sorted out if a team is in no danger of relegation or indeed already doomed getting the short straw. It is possible that Livi will be relegated before the split but if not it then comes down to which teams have lost out in the past or gained a home fixture. Iirc we have 'gained' in the past and not lost out on a fixture. Not sure about the other three teams involved. Where we could get shafted imo is that gaining a fixture in a previous season which may have involved no real advantage taking into account league position does not equate to losing a home game when there is still the possibility of falling into the play off spot.

Often the outcome of this situation is not the simple switching of a single fixture but a more extensive upheaval. It is possible that even if we still get 3 home games it won't be Killie, St. Mirren and Aberdeen as expected, maybe Livi at home for a third time and away 3 times to one of the others.

It is possible that we lose the next two games, end up right in the mix and be asked to visit one of the three for a third time. The best scenarios would be us to win our next two games, obviously, but not likely, Livi to lose their next two games (likely) and St. Mirren and Killie get 4 points each effectively relegating Livi (not likely) or to find out that we are not the only club due to lose a home fixture and 'get lucky' in a draw for said loss of fixture.

What I don't want to end up with is say going to Killie 3 times meaning 2 home St Mirren and Aberdeen and away to the rest with two games on these plastic abominations masquerading as football pitches and having to play the DABs on that midden of a pitch next door.

Incredibly it may work out better to be below 8th come the split with then less chance of losing the 3rd home game.

There is a bit of hope livvy are far enough back that the league decide they are "it" even though not technically relegated.

It's gonna be tight though so I hope someone at Dens is making representation.

Our away record isn't great we really don't want to be losing 3rd home game.

Going to the 🐑, plastic fantastic or st Mirren a 3rd time isn't appealing.

[islaydarkblue]

It looks like the SPFL bosses had expected Aberdeen to be in the top 6 at the split and Falkirk/United in the bottom 6 when they drew up the fixture lists for the 2025-26 season.

[Dodbroon]

It looks like the SPFL bosses had expected Aberdeen to be in the top 6 at the split and Falkirk/United in the bottom 6 when they drew up the fixture lists for the 2025-26 season.

They tend not to put too much thought into it, more or less going on the previous seasons final standings. Both United and Aberdeen would have been expected in the top 6 with last year's top three, the Old Firm plus Hibs i.e. last season's top 5. If they had gone for the top six to be exactly the same the fixtures would not have worked out as at present so it seems they assumed Hearts would be top 6 and last year's sixth place St. Mirren in the bottom six. So Aberdeen and Falkirk in the 'wrong' place has caused the unbalanced fixtures. United and Motherwell have also 'switched' but with both expecting 2 home 3 away post split it did not have any effect.
One of the top six will get an extra home game and it will likely end up being Falkirk. Celtic and Hibs cannot get an extra home game because that would mean 4 out of their last 5 at home. They won't touch Hearts or Rangers for obvious reasons leaving only Motherwell or Falkirk to gain a home game so Falkirk is the least likely to cause problems. Gaining a home game especially in the top 6 won't imo have the same, possibly, disastrous effect of losing a home fixture in the bottom 6 if it has any bearing on ending up in the playoffs.

[Mainlanddee]

Both Livi and Killie , have both previously played an extra away game , asso it won't be them , Aberdeen have also played 20 away games , but have also had 20 home games twice , so really should be them ,

[Dodbroon]

Both Livi and Killie , have both previously played an extra away game , asso it won't be them , Aberdeen have also played 20 away games , but have also had 20 home games twice , so really should be them ,

Didn't know that about Aberdeen, interesting! Is there a list anywhere detailing all the club's gains and losses of fixtures due to SPFL imbalances?

[Mainlanddee]

Didn't know that about Aberdeen, interesting! Is there a list anywhere detailing all the club's gains and losses of fixtures due to SPFL imbalances?

On the spl site , under how the the split work

[Dodbroon]

Both Livi and Killie , have both previously played an extra away game , asso it won't be them , Aberdeen have also played 20 away games , but have also had 20 home games twice , so really should be them ,

In the bottom six United and Killie are due 2 home 3 away so they can't lose a home fixture as the can't have 1 home and 4 away in the final five games. This supersedes any history of home games lost and gained. Therefore only Aberdeen, Dundee, St. Mirren and Livi can end up with an 18h/20a season. The figures on the SPFL site seem to only be up to 14/15 years ago unless I'm missing a more up to date article. So looking at all the unaligned years since the split was introduced Aberdeen have gained 3 home and lost 2, we have gained 1 and lost none, St. Mirren gained 1 lost none and Livi gained none and lost 1. So Aberdeen, St. Mirren and us are net one home game up, Livi one home game down. So nothing to separate Aberdeen, St. Mirren and ourselves and looking like if there is any chance Livi can avoid bottom it wouldn't be them. So it wouldn't be a 'shafting' but hellish unfair on whichever team gets the short straw.

Top six is interesting too. A team has to gain an extra home fixture. Hearts, Rangers, Motherwell and Falkirk are all only due 2 home after the break so are the ones in line to gain a home fixture. Only Celtic and Hibs are due 3 home and theoretically cannot gain a home fixture and end up with 4 home after the break. Hearts have had an 18/20 season before and Motherwell 1 gained and two lost. Rangers (like Celtic) have never been involved in gaining or losing a home fixture (there's a surprise) and Falkirk, the most likely to be in line to gain a home fixture due to League position but are already a home home game to the good from a previous season. So the obvious recipient should be Hearts. Good luck getting that past the ugly sisters SPFL.