The SPFL will determine post-split fixtures along established guidelines. Celtic will face Newco on either match day 34 or 35, to avoid the possibility of a league decider between the teams. With Hearts likely to lead the table going into the break, the usual metric changes.
The loser of the Celtic-Newco game could face Hearts when already out of contention for the top two slots. If Celtic were out of contention, would we expect them to take on Hearts on the final day of the season at full strength? Even without the prospect of denying Newco the title, Celtic would be a busted flush. The same is true for Newco. If they were out of the race, do you think there is a remote chance they would turn up at Tynecastle and collect the points that would deliver the title to Celtic?
Newco fans are likely to be as animated on this subject as we are. They will remember a lacklustre Celtic defeat at home to Aberdeen, when the visitors needed a win to confirm finishing above Newco in 2018. Some of us will remember the final game of the season in 1982, when if Celtic drew and Aberdeen beat Rangers by five goals, the title would go to the north east. The Dons were 4-0 at the break, before news filtered through that Celtic had hit the goal trail.
These examples may be innocent results, but the SPFL must do itself a favour and take suspicion out of the equation. Hearts, Celtic and Newco must play each other in the first two rounds of games. The SPFL cannot contrive a competitive advantage for one of the title contenders.
Hearts, Celtic, Newco, Motherwell, Hibs and Falkirk will make the top six. This gives the League another headache, as all six cannot have 19 home and 19 away games. The only fair solution is to give Hibs and Falkirk 20 home games. This will mean an uneven number of home and away fixtures with Falkirk and Hibs for some clubs.
See the table below showing what games home/away the clubs are due to get and who they will play at each venue. Teams in yellow are playing their third game of the season at that venue. Hibs will have four home games post-split.
357 Comments- Pages:
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- »
Happy St. Fridolin Day!
Petition:
One Celtic. Back our Board, Manager, Players and Charity.
https://c.org/kC24nkswRn
Ave Ave
TV will decide
The pattern of assistance will be evident.
Yes, very interesting post split fixtures.
Motherwell might well have a say, especially if one of the top three have a meltdowm and the Steelmen keep their form up…
I’m sure Celtic will have enough to see us to 5iar – yet if that doesn’t happen :(( then a Scottish League Championship trophy returning to Lanarkshire wouldn’t be the worst thing…
Hail Hail
Post split as pre split
There is a league to win!
Hail Hail
Respective Clubs will be desperate to finish high as possible re European competition qualification and prize money.
Celtic are looking to sign Marcelo Saracchi on a permanent basis, according to his agent.
Marcelo Tejera said discussions have been scheduled with Celtic regarding a permanent contract for the left-back. The Uruguayan, who is 27, currently does not have a buy option in place with the Scottish champions.
Tejera said on Uruguay radio show Carve Deportiva: “I even have a meeting tomorrow (today) with the CEO of Celtic because they want to start moving forward regarding the purchase.”
See they have refurbished the trading complex at Lennoxtown..
I couldn’t see any but assume they have saunas as they are proven to aid muscle recovery etc etc..
In fact should also have an indoor pool as well !
an tearmann
Just as, if not more important than the post split fixures!
Lead on, MacDuff and march with O’Neill
That’s a good point, SIONNAIGH👍
Would the huns gift a ream 3 points if it meant they finished 4th instead of 3rd?
Hearts, Celtic and Newco must play each other in the first two rounds of games
This is impossible
The huns will do whatever it takes to close/overcome the financial gap with Celtic. If they cant win the league, they will throw it.
https://celticfc.shar.estori.es/go/72002bd6-50eb-e806-e676-3a1fd4c2535a/84758232-123b-24fb-6567-3a1fd4c357fd
Lennoxtown upgrade,probably an extension to the Physio Suite….
SPIKEYSAULDMAN on 6TH MARCH 2026 12:47 PM
The huns will do whatever it takes to close/overcome the financial gap with Celtic. If they cant win the league, they will throw it.
_____________________________________
Sadly, the Celtic board are already a step ahead. They’ve been working on reducing the gap since 2012.
Nice one Paul.
With absolutely no intel whatsoever, I’ve been taking a different view on this.
Across that 5-game phase stretch?
I suspect Celtic we’ll play Hearts at home on matchday 1 …
… to give R2ngers as early as boost as possible.
Hearts and Celtic can’t both win
Hearts and Celtic CAN both drop points
None of the top 3 (not sure about top 4) will be “out of the race” after Match day 33 of 38.
I suspect we’ll play R2ngers on matchday 3.
As part of a sample H-A-H-A-H pattern for us and A-H-A-H-A for them.
With 2 games remaining afterwards, this game will massively impact the outcome of the title race … but it won’t produce a champion on the day.
PS – isn’t it truly remarkable that, when the league title race just MIGHT be tight?
How often Celtic enter the post split having played 16 at home and 17 away?
Strange.
You can never assume a team with nothing to play for on the last day won’t show up. Who would have thought one of our own, playing for 6th place Motherwell, would deprive us of a league title on helicopter Sunday?
Is it some form of professional pride that allows you to score when you really don’t want to?
Likewise in 1986 why Dundee, sitting 6th, bothered to show up and beat Hearts on that momentous day? Albert Kidd wasn’t exactly a one man team but Dundee were holding Hearts to 0-0:until 80th minute. The script said they’d all be thinking about their holidays.
gedinte
too true, which gets you wondering whether we would fight tooth and nail v hearts if we were out of it
i would happily invade the pitch to stop celtic scoring
I see the new improved facilities at Lennoxtown include medical facilities .
Presumably a hamstring suite .
With rangers currently trailing in third place and having to pay both of the teams ahead of them away from home, I’m exercising my right, foolish or not, to discount them from the contest.
We beat Hearts at home (surely the officials can’t contrive to alter the outcome of this fixture for a third time this season) and I have hope that we will prevail, as I expect Hearts to drop at least 2 points against Motherwell or rangers. That said, Hearts have a significantly better GD than Celtic… but don’t rule out Hibs doing us a favour.
Perhaps we could make a cheeky comment in a presser, or on our website, that we and our lawyers will be watching the match officials’ decision making very closely during the run in.
Thanks from last thread for posting story from the National. It sounded detailed and well-informed.
If Shaun is heavily involved in plans for summer recruitment, what does that tell us about the manager’s position? Is it his? Will he be assistant? Are we going for Askou and he has told Shaun who he wants? Or is recruitment a ‘club’ matter and the new coach will largely get who he gets?
The last option seems the least probable since the names being mentioned are very specific and local, and presumably not, or not only, data driven.
https://substack.com/@mbd7619/note/c-222774638?r=bc5xc&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=notes-share-action
🇺🇸@jacksonhinklle
BREAKING: “Israelis are now living in parking lots and basements.”
https://x.com/jacksonhinklle/status/2029831880883757063#m
@Lowkey0nline
“A clearly defeated Donald Trump gives a lacklustre, half-hearted speech about killing more Iranians. Lionel Messi looks on and applauds.”
https://x.com/Lowkey0nline/status/2029892214336237977#m
Folk must be listening to WPB’s Yvonne Wummin….
https://x.com/TBickle38/status/2029261396265820545#m
Anyway….
Play long and direct like Mr Stein, Mr McNeill, Mr Hay, era’s fullbacks used to do.
Not many hamstring issues in those teams.
To get the benefit of playing that way we need 2 strikers and one winger max.
Oh and no Calmac types sleekitly slowing us down until the opposition has their erchies covered in all of the danger areas making the lone striker and 2 wingers look like projects from “THE SLOW LANE” that young MON warned us about in 2005.
Twenty years of kissing “THE SLOW LANE’s” erchie has delivered a Timdom full of dunderheids.
No wonder the perma-tanned board have been lazing on Desmond’s private island beach every day of the year with luxury flights to every Celtic game paid for by the dunderheids.
Sad are homes….
GEDINTE
Apols for late response.
The season following Invincibles was the best striker dept since aforementioned Henke etc.
Moussa, Eddie & Leigh were genuine quality. We’d be cruising to the title if any of them were available now.
Alarming the drop-off from then to current incumbents.
For clarity the season after Invincible season we went into a critical away CL qualifier with James Forrest as our only striker.
We won 1-0 away at Rosenburg after drawing 0-0 at home.
BABASONICOS71 – Yes, and incredible drop off, and I haven’t done the math, but would almost guarantee that we are spending substantially more employing the current crew than we did with the two Frenchies and Griff.
We have currently got a massive long term injury list of a magnitude I can hardly recall ever.
We seem to ignore this when looking at the squad.
CCV
Jota
Johnston
Osmund
KI
Engels
4 of the above would be definite starters for Sunday.
SPIKEYSAULDMAN – let’s hope this scenario doesn’t present itself 😳
But, the jeopardy going into the last 9 fixtures is quite incredible.
Motherwell went from being a potential kingmaker, to being a contender, and now Hibs and Falkirk have to be viewed as the spoilers.
Meanwhile, fans of the Edinburgh and Glasgow teams are already having the “what if” conversations as we consider the possibility of denying our rivals success.
Martin O’Neill just on sky , Celtic supporters to be in ipox for 10am for a 1pm kick off, Martin asked if the fans are getting breakfast
deniabhoy
Sure i watched story of 86 and JIM DUFFY said everyone forgets Dundee were going for Europe.
That and a right few hoops men in team Duffy Tosh Mckinlay Kidd and i think Cowboy Mcormack for starters.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Likewise in 1986 why Dundee, sitting 6th, bothered to show up and beat Hearts on that momentous day? Albert Kidd wasn’t exactly a one man team but Dundee were holding Hearts to 0-0:until 80th minute. The script said they’d all be thinking about their holidays.
Paul67-
I think that your assessment of the post-split fixtures is incorrect for a couple of reasons (in addition to the small error showing Falkirk at home to Motherwell). I’d already posted some comments on this to an earlier thread when it came up.
First, it should be said that the SPFL will now almost certainly wait until after the final pre-split game between Falkirk, and Sevco on April 12th, before releasing any information. Given that they seem incapable of setting the fixtures at the start of the season (explanation involves a high school student and a laptop – it’s just not that difficult), then they probably want to see just who is realistically in contention for the title.
Given that there could be 4 teams all within a few points of each other, this is arguably necessary and fair. Assuming Motherwell win at the weekend, then there will be 7 points separating the top 4, with 4 pre-split games to go. Over those next four games, Celtic and Hearts both have similar schedules, home once and away twice against bottom-6 teams, with a home game against a top-6 team (Motherwell for both). Sevco are at home twice and away once against bottom-6 teams, with another away fixture at top-6 Falkirk. Motherwell play 3 of their 4 games against top-6 teams, away to Celtic and Hearts and home to Falkirk, with one other home game against a bottom-6 team.
No match-by-match predictions, but the point is you wouldn’t bet against things being just as tight if not tighter by the time we get to the post-split phase. Especially considering that Motherwell are the form team. So, 4 teams still in it!
Distilling the “guidelines” published by the SPFL, there are two key considerations: the fewest changes to the natural order of fixtures, and the lowest tariff in terms of unfair advantage.
The natural order of fixtures is defined as the home and away fixtures that would be required for each team in the top-6 to finish the season having played each other twice at home and away. This is the starting point from which necessary changes are determined. It should be noted that Motherwell will be the only team with a naturally balanced schedule, so this is likely to be maintained, unless it made the other required changes more difficult or impossible.
In any event, a minimum of 8 changes will be required, but with a focus on limiting changes to fixtures involving the title contenders, it should lead to Falkirk, as the team with the least to gain (unless you are Hibs), being the ONLY beneficiary of 20 home games. This would result in only 3 changes to the “natural order” for fixtures involving the contenders, as compared to the 5 as shown in your table.
This is what I would expect;
Hearts: Sevco (H), Falkirk (H*), Celtic (A), Hibs (A), Motherwell (A)
Sevco: Motherwell (H), Falkirk (H), Hearts (A), Celtic (A), Hibs (A*)
Celtic: Hearts (H), Sevco (H), Hibs (H*), Motherwell (A), Falkirk (A)
Motherwell: Hearts (H), Celtic (H), Hibs (A), Sevco (A), Falkirk (A)
Hibs: Hearts (H), Motherwell (H), Sevco (H*), Celtic (A*), Falkirk (A*)
Falkirk: Celtic (H), Motherwell (H), Hibs (H*), Sevco (A), Hearts (A*)
https://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/who-will-win-the-league/comment-page-3/#comment-4068805
https://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/who-will-win-the-league/comment-page-3/#comment-4068809
Gedinte, I threw this (see below) together the other day looking at the remaining games, but (perhaps foolishly) discounted Motherwell and concentrated on those above us at the time.
Remaining fixtures:
*Wed 4 Mar*
Aberdeen 1 CELTIC 2
Hearts P 29 Pts 63 (+29)
Celtic P 29 Pts 58 (+22)
Rangers P 29 Pts 57 (+26)
*Sat 14 Mar*
CELTIC v Motherwell 3pm
Kilmarnock v HEARTS 8pm
*Sun 15 Mar*
St Mirren v RANGERS 12am
*Sat 21 Mar*
HEARTS v Dundee 3pm
RANGERS v Aberdeen 5.45pm
*Sun 22 Mar*
Dundee Utd v CELTIC 12.30pm
*Sat 4 Apr*
RANGERS v Dundee Utd 3pm
*Sun 5 Apr*
Livingston v HEARTS 2pm
Dundee v CELTIC 4.30pm
*Sat 11 Apr*
CELTIC v St Mirren 3pm
HEARTS v Motherwell 3pm
*Sun 12 Apr*
Falkirk v RANGERS 12am
====== LEAGUE SPLIT ======
HEARTS v RANGERS
Motherwell v HEARTS
CELTIC v HEARTS
CELTIC v RANGERS
Motherwell v CELTIC
RANGERS v Motherwell
Indeed, recent form would suggest that Motherwell could still be serious contenders. The top 4 with current points and points from their last 6 SPL games (in brackets) looks like this:
Hearts 63 from 29 (12 from last 6)
Celtic 58 from 29 (13 from last 6)
rangers 57 from 29 (10 from last 6)
Motherwell 53 from 28 (16 from last 6)
Martin presser today
https://youtu.be/0Xl8Mgmyf14?si=UyligYSBm8G5xrOv
HH
Jamesie presser today
https://youtu.be/0Xl8Mgmyf14?si=UyligYSBm8G5xrOv
HH