This Years League Split

[Clydeside_Sheep]

The rest of the league is amazingly tight this year, with (as of right now), just 6 points separating 4th and 11th place.

 

Will this be the first year the league split (now on the horizon) has any great relevance?

 

With such a tight league, those shitey teams which manage to slither into the top-6 will be getting out of jail while the rest face a fraught end to the season to avoid the play off spot.

 

So the idea of the split seems to work this year - but then, for those duffers which do manage to get into the top half, the split effectively signals the end of their season and they then have 5 meaningless (for them) games to play out.

 

So - if it does indeed have any relevance - the split seems counter productive.

 

Wouldnt it be better (at least from a neutral perspective) if those teams were sitll involved in the dog fight to avoid 11th place? And while fans would always chose safety and meaningless games, they cant deny it would be more exicting for them if they still had a chance of going down.

 

Should we persevere with the splitting of the league?

 

If there was no split, no (or fewer) games would be meaningless because there is always the motivation for teams to achieve the highest possible finish.

[Henry]

A 12 team league doesn't work without a split.

[Bluto10]

16 teams top division (one leave below; scrap & merge monkey clubs)

Play each other twice

League style league cup like it used to be with Final in winter before a Jan-Feb winter break.

Sorted.

[Bamber]

I do like the split personally but this year could be chaotic

 

The 6/7th could be decided on Goal difference maybe even on Goal scored or games between clubs or even a play off

 

and 7th could then be relegated

 

4th 33 pts Goal Difference -2 Goals for 40

 

5th 33 pts Goal Difference -2 Goals for 39

 

6th 32 pts Goal Difference -0 Goals for 33

 

7th 32 pts Goal Difference -1 Goals for 39

 

 

They then look at games between the clubs

 

I'll work on that.......................

[Henry]

16 teams top division (one leave below; scrap & merge monkey clubs)

Play each other twice

League style league cup like it used to be with Final in winter before a Jan-Feb winter break.

Sorted.

 

Will the 8 lost league games be replaced by the new LC?

[Henry]

I think there's plenty of things wrong with Scottish football, but the split isn't one of them.

 

It's fine.

[rossafc92]

I think the split has been working for a couple of years now, ever since the introduction of the play-off.

 

We always seem to have one team cut adrift in 12th. But it's been pretty tight post-split for the other bottom six teams these past two seasons. In 2014 it came down to the last game of the season to decide who would finish in the play-off between Killie and Hibs. Last season it went down to the second last (I think) before it was confirmed that Motherwell would finish 11th. Looks like it will be even tighter this year.

 

The play-off place means it actually means something to finish top/bottom six for those clubs who are too far away from the Euro places.

 

It would be silly to move away from this format so soon after finally getting it to work. Some people still intent on ignoring that however, championing a bigger league because of a boredom with playing some teams four times. Feel that's something we just have to live with in a country of our size.

[The Boofon]

I think there's plenty of things wrong with Scottish football, but the split isn't one of them.

 

It's fine.

 

 

It's far from fine.

 

It's pish.

 

It only works if the same teams finish in the top 6 every year for fair fixture splits. We'll have Hearts away 3 times this year for example.

[Bluto10]

 

 

Partly. Maybe not.

Missing 8 games ain't a big deal.

30 is enough.

Plus the winter break.

 

Make a big thing of the LC final and have it on NYD.

Will the 8 lost league games be replaced by the new LC?

[Henry]

 

 

It's far from fine.

 

It's pish.

 

It only works if the same teams finish in the top 6 every year for fair fixture splits. We'll have Hearts away 3 times this year for example.

 

That's true, fine was probably overstating it a bit.

 

I don't think it's that bad.

[Henry]

Partly. Maybe not.

Missing 8 games ain't a big deal.

30 is enough.

Plus the winter break.

 

Make a big thing of the LC final and have it on NYD.

 

 

Aye, less games isn't a bad thing if you're having a winter shutdown.

 

Although 4 less home games would be a big deal for some clubs with stretched finances.

 

I would suggest rather than the winter shutdown, go the whole hog and move to summer football.

[dave_min]

Who cares?

 

This doesn't effect us.

 

Sma bounce.

[Bluto10]

4 less home games may mean larger attendances for the remaining fewer home fixtures than now.

[beer gut]

The spit is there for one reason only. The possibility of an exrta game against the tims or huns. For that reason it is pish and should be scrapped.

[hopeisimportant]

I think the current league setup, including the split, is pretty much the optimum setup we can have.

 

Most years the split adds extra excitement to those mid-table teams. I really don't see a downside to it. It's going to be pretty tense pre-split for many teams with it being so tight.

[Bamber]

4 -7th could be level on GD and Goals scored if so it goes to head to heads

 

OK this can get REALLY complicated but in the case of Level on points, GD and goals scored

 

There are a few games remaining from what we know now

 

Dundee will be above St Johnstone

 

If Dundee and Caley Draw on the 27th they require a play off to decide

 

Dundee will be above Ross county unless their is a +3 GD to Ross County

 

ICT will be above Ross County

 

If ICT beat ST J 1-0 they require a play off

 

If Ross County beat St Johnstone 1-0 they require a play off

 

 

What the heck they do if three teams are level on GD and Goals Scored I don't know what they will end up doing

 

The split could end up being a complete cluster this year - Could be even worse if a Team misses out on a play off and then goes on to be relegated which is also a possibility

[strachanmcgheegoal]

Personally like the split - all teams have to survive their last five games fighting the teams around them for their respective positions. To me, there's fewer meaningless fixtures than a straight 12. Accept the home away distortion isn't perfect.

 

What point either for home or away would the arabs going to Parkhead contribute just now? Alternately, when was the last time you looked for a Arab Motherwell result on a Tuesday night?

 

I also take the 7th place and relegated via a play off point, but then isn't that exciting? (bearing in mind it isn't us!). Also factor in that the 2nd place 1st Div team in the play off has to win a 3/4 play off first and concede home advantage in the 2nd tie.

[RAZOR]

 

 

 

It only works if the same teams finish in the top 6 every year for fair fixture splits. We'll have Hearts away 3 times this year for example.

 

Potentially... We could have Celtic at home 3 times (like fuck that will ever happen)...

[Bamber]

If there was to be one thing I would change with the split its the post split fixtures

 

I would ensure that its 2 Home 2 Away fixtures over the season and disregard the total number of home games a club has over a season. too much is being put on 19 Home 19 Away which has on a number of occasions failed anyway

 

So what if we end up with 5 away games post split or even 5 Homes? play 2 home 2 away Over a few seasons it would balance out -

 

If clubs and supporters are bothered about it then sell post split tickets separately or set a cap on the number of games you can attend at say 19 (so you could miss a couple of games in the season and see all the post split games)

 

Based on today we would play

 

Celtic Away

Hearts Home

Ross County Home

Dundee Away

ICT Home

 

Which would give us 19 Home games (ie perfect)

[ericblack4boss]

The good thing about the split is the infamous top 6 trophy that the fucking oaf so proudly cherished,

[zander]

The good thing about the split is the infamous top 6 trophy that the fucking oaf so proudly cherished,

The energy cities cup is held in higher regard.

[strachanmcgheegoal]

I particularly enjoy the debate about how the 7th place club can finish with more points than 6th. Always a point well made I feel.

[Panda]

16 team league and a midweek European league.

 

Promotion and relegation in the Euro league, with 8 teams in each Euro division, giving another 14 games, putting an end to getting knocked out before the clocks go back.

 

A lot of people are against a European league, but for me I'm only against it replacing the domestic league. The two running alongside each other, and everyone given a chance to enter (open for all top flight clubs) would be cracking. Can imagine us in a league with Rapid Vienna, Copenhagen, Rijeka, Groningen, Real Sociedad, Hertha Berlin and AEK Athens and also still going for the league and cup at home against Rangers, Celtic, Hearts and Dundee Utd without being subjected to 4-7 games a season against the same opposition.

 

Think I may have swayed off topic a little......I think the split is shit.

[Dandyesque]

The split is fine- the only downside is can see is that celtic won't have to play against teams battling for survival- we won't either but I think it might have worked in our favour if close enough to them

[ab24_5qh]

The split is a ridiculous system put in place solely to ensure the old firm play each other 4 times in the league. For a country the size of Scotland two larger leagues would be more sensible. However, it is unlikely to ever happen unless the two cheeks feck off.

[boboisared]

Don't get/like the split stuff. Sounds like TV interference.

 

Every team plays each other the same amount of times home and a way and if you get the most points at the end of the final games you are the champions. Very simple.

 

Play offs are also shite.

It keeps crowds up though.

[Jmurph]

I reckon a 10 team league with ideally all our best teams in it would make the league appealing.Maybe some kind of split could be done with that. All teams would have something to play for. The top 6 would all be fighting for europe and if there were 2 relegation places the bottom 4 would all be fighting relegation. A 16 team league would have too many meaningless games which wouldn't excite the crowds.

[redone]

The current set-up should be scrapped because it is inherently unfair with the imbalance of home and away fixtures before the split, and further potential unfairness after the split

 

14 teams , play each other home and away, then split into top and bottom 7.

Then each section have 12 further fixtures - 6 home and 6 away

 

38 games in all , same as current system

[Dandyesque]

The current set-up should be scrapped because it is inherently unfair with the imbalance of home and away fixtures before the split, and further potential unfairness after the split

 

14 teams , play each other home and away, then split into top and bottom 7.

Then each section have 12 further fixtures - 6 home and 6 away

 

38 games in all , same as current system

Because one team in each half of the league wouldn't be playing at the same time as the rest of the teams you'd need a good few extra weeks to the season or have to cram in a lot of midweek fixtures - not helpful you want to have Scottish teams do well in Europe

[caledonia]

The spit is there for one reason only. The possibility of an exrta game against the tims or huns. For that reason it is pish and should be scrapped.

 

yes the old firm must have wanted it for some reason