Rangers set for controversial post-split Scottish Premiership benefit
The Scottish Premiership split looks set to hand Rangers a controversial boost, and Celtic given the opposite, according to The Athletic.
The current SPFL table and the fixtures so far may end up causing Gers to have extra games at home with Celtic asked to make additional away trips, once the top six are confirmed.
Celtic, Hearts, Hibs, Livingston and Motherwell have all been to Ibrox twice already this season, while the Hoops have faced all the teams involved away twice, and with four of those five currently in the top six and the other level on points with sixth-placed Ross County it appears set to cause a problem.
The Athletic report from correspondents of both Glasgow sides, Jordan Campbell and Kieran Devlin says: “The battle between Rangers and Celtic for the title looks likely to go down to the wire and, as ever in Scottish football, that tension leads to suspicion and complaints from the two sets of fans.
“This season could serve up more ammunition as, depending on who finishes in the top half with them, champions Rangers could be due five away games with leaders Celtic due all five at home.
“The league will need to try to ensure as many clubs as possible play 19 home games and 19 away, and the only way to do that is to skew the balance of the head-to-head venues by asking two teams to come to Ibrox for a third time this season.
“With Celtic, they will likely have two of their home games turned into away matches to provide balance there too.”
Trouble ahead
There is a very real possibility that this situation comes to pass, and it will undoubtedly cause disquiet if it does.
There is obviously nothing that the club can do it about, as this is an inevitable complication from the league’s set-up.
If it does come about, it perhaps will negate any lingering suspicions that the Bears’ exploits in Europe will hold them back during the league run in.
The pressure is currently on with the club now in the latter-stages of three competitions, so a marginal gain is welcome in any form.
There is no doubt that the Ibrox crowd provides a twelfth man on big occasions.
But in contrast to the incredibly atmosphere for the visit of Borussia Dortmund last month, the subsequent home draw against Motherwell was flat from a players and fans perspective.
The Gers support will need to be on top form to really press home any advantage the club might gain from this quirk of the fixture calendar.
In other Rangers news, a Tory political advisor made a “great banter” St Patrick’s Day joke about the club.