One 3pm opener, Martin's first Old Firm & who has hardest start?
The palpable excitement whipped up by the unveiling of a bunch of dates in a calendar is a strange phenomenon in football.Across Scotland, fully grown adults will be like kids at Christmas this Friday morning. Booking trains, scanning hotel booking websites, all while conducting a Google map scan of every pub along the route of a train station to a stadium with military precision.This season's Premiership fixtures were unleashed to supporters at 0900 BST, but what are the things punters will be talking about as they update their social diaries?
The death of the 3pm on a Saturday
A bizarre quirk of this season's Scottish Premiership opening day is that there's three of them.Two games get things going on Saturday as Kilmarnock host Livingston and Motherwell take on Russell Martin's Rangers.You then have to wait until Sunday for three more to follow, including defending champions Celtic against St Mirren, while Hearts and Aberdeen bring the whole thing to a close on Monday.Curiously, there is actually only one game - Kilmarnock v Livingston - which kicks off at 15:00 BST on the Saturday. This will have traditionalists burning their match programmes and hurling their Bovril out the window.Why? Well, the game at Fir Park has been shifted later for television, making it four of the six opening games being broadcast live. Hibs and Dundee United also have European qualifiers on the preceding Thursday.
When is the first Old Firm game?
Yes, yes, there are three city derbies in the Premiership. There's no west-coast bias here. However, there will be a particular clamour around the first meeting of Celtic and Rangers this season. The Ibrox side have a new manager in Martin, and there will plenty of anticipation to see how his team fare against Brendan Rodgers' Celtic given the chasm between the two clubs last season.Both teams will also have been in European qualifying beforehand to give this one an extra edge.Rangers, who picked up seven points in last term's derbies and still finished miles behind, host the first Old Firm meeting on 31 August with a noon kick-off.When is the Dundee derby? It's the day before at Dens Park. Will United still be in Europe by then? Will Steven Pressley, a former city rival in his playing days, have got off to a flyer with the blue half of the city?You then have to wait until the first weekend in October before the Edinburgh derby takes centre stage.It's another city rivalry that will feature a new manager and Hearts boss Derek McInnes will have home advantage for his first taste of the fixture.
Will the Premiership fixtures change?
You can bet your Killie Pie on it.A restricted amount of television fixtures have been released so far. Basically the opening two weekends, the first Old Firm game and the festive Edinburgh derby.Beyond that, it's a disconcertingly straightforward calendar so far. But hang fire booking your hostel in Dundee.Plenty of games will still be moved for television, while European football has the potential to cause chaos.Celtic and Aberdeen are both guaranteed group stage football, with the latter almost certain to have a raft of games moved to a Sunday.On top of that, you have the unknown fate for Dundee United, Hibernian and Rangers on their continental adventures.
Which team's Premiership start is the most difficult?
The answer to this will be the same regardless who you ask: "My team."Football fans are not renowned for their impartiality or rational thinking, every person's favourite club has been dealt a short hand. Or have they?Our friends at Opta have crunched the number for the opening four games, and it appears St Mirren - who have Celitc, Rangers and an away trip to Easter Road among their opening matches - have got it the hardest.Next you have Dundee, who have Rangers, Hibs, Kilmarnock away on a plastic pitch plus a derby. Then it's Motherwell who open to Martin's Ibrox side.It appears the SPFL super computer was built in Edinburgh, with both capital clubs allegedly having the softest start.Famous last words.
What are the festive Premiership fixtures?
In recent memory, Scottish football has had Christmas Eve fixtures, Boxing Day fixtures, Hogmanay fixtures and even New Year's Day fixtures. Thoughts still lie with the hungover Motherwell fans watching their team get scudded 5-0 by Hamilton Academical on 1 January in 2015.But this year the calendar has fallen away from any landmark dates across the festive period.Saturday 27 December is the chosen day for a full card, the Edinburgh derby kicking things off at 12:30 GMT.We then have six games on Tuesday 30 December, before we bounce on to Saturday 3 January as the Dundee and Glasgow derbies provide a blockbuster start to the new year.However, as with everything, keep an eye out for television commitments to potentially rip this up...
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
STV News
31 minutes ago
- STV News
SFA gives detailed response to 'misleading' Rangers disciplinary complaint
The Scottish FA has responded to Rangers' complaint about their disciplinary process, saying the Ibrox club made misleading comments about their judicial system. Rangers went public with their anger over a £3,000 fine levied by an independent panel over comments made on club TV by former player John Brown. While commentating on a match against Hibs at Easter Road, Brown claimed a controversial decision not to award Rangers a goal was 'corrupt' and doubled down on his statement after his colleague corrected his language. Following the decision, which punished the club under a rule that prevents allegations of 'bias or incompetence' being directed at match officials, Rangers issued a lengthy statement claiming that similar incidents at other clubs have gone unpunished, and that the decision has 'implications for clarity and confidence in the regulatory system'. The club said that Brown has spoken 'spontaneously and emotionally' and that his comments 'come with the territory' of live broadcasting. The Scottish FA has now responded, saying that the written reasons from the independent disciplinary panel will be published in due course, but taking issue with the points made by Rangers. The governing body said that they had to address 'misleading comment' in the interest of accuracy and said that the decision and punishment were in accordance by the rules that all member clubs are expected to adhere to. A recent case involving Motherwell's Richard Foster was highlighted, with Foster having been banned from the touchline for six games after making similar comments last season. The SFA also answered a query about the 'rationale behind different outcomes', saying that the organisation's compliance officer can take action short of a full disciplinary charge. Recent incidents involving three Rangers players were given as an example. The statement read: 'Furthermore, to address the comments regarding 'rationale behind differing outcomes', we wish to point to the fact that investigations were undertaken in previous cases outlined and that the Compliance Officers of the time saw fit to issue a censure by way of warning letter for potential breaches deemed insufficiently serious to be progressed to a Notice of Complaint. 'This system of proportionality has been adopted since the inception of the Judicial Panel Protocol in 2011. Indeed, such discretion was exercised last season when the Compliance Officer wrote to the club to warn of the future conduct of players following matters involving Vaclav Cerny, Dujon Sterling and Mohamed Diomande. 'We also note that Rangers intend to contact the association to seek clarity on the Judicial Panel Protocol and its application. The club is, in fact, already represented on the JPP Working Group.' The statement concluded by reminding all clubs of their responsibilities in regard to referees, pointing out that the rule that Brown broke with his comments was brought in by clubs to protect referees following their strike in 2010. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
BBC News
35 minutes ago
- BBC News
SFA say Rangers fine 'in keeping with rules'
The Scottish FA say the imposition of a fine on Rangers following a comment by John Brown made on club media "was entirely in keeping with the application of the rules".Rangers said on Thursday the SFA "will be watched closely" after the £3,000 a match against Hibernian, Nicolas Raskin appeared to bundle the ball over the line, with the SFA's key match incident panel later ruling the goal should have Ibrox club feel there has been a "lack of consistency with the Scottish FA's policing of similar incidents".But the SFA said a recent "sanction imposed on Richard Foster of Motherwell FC for comments of a similar nature in the media, attests to" consistency. On 17 May at Easter Road, referee Nick Walsh and his on-field officials thought the ball had been kept out by Hibs defender Rocky Bushiri, and VAR Andrew Dallas ruled that there was no camera angle that proved Raskin's effort had gone equalised through Kieron Bowie moments later, with the match finishing said on the club's in-house TV channel: "I would say it is corrupt."Commentator Tom Miller replied: "Well, I'm not sure we can actually say that." However, Brown added: "Well, I am saying it."Rangers subsequently demanded the introduction of goal-line technology and said of the fine on Thursday: "If this is now the standard, they will be watched closely to ensure it is applied across the board, consistently, without exception and without favour."However, the SFA countered: "The sanction imposed by an independent panel was entirely in keeping with the application of the rules."Investigations were undertaken in previous cases outlined and that the compliance officers of the time saw fit to issue a censure by way of warning letter for potential breaches deemed insufficiently serious to be progressed to a notice of complaint."We have requested written reasons from the panel chair involved in the tribunal and in the interests of transparency will publish in due course."The SFA added that the relevant protocol had been introduced "in response to the referee strike of 2010, when match officials campaigned for greater protection after enduring sustained personal criticism from clubs and fans"."Ahead of a new season, we remind clubs of their responsibilities in this regard," the governing body said.
Scottish Sun
42 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
SFA hit back at Rangers over John Brown ‘corrupt' row and ‘remind clubs of their responsibilities'
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE Scottish FA have hit back in their row with Rangers over the controversy surrounding John Brown's comments made in a match against Hibs last season. Rangers released a strongly worded statement on Thursday after the club were handed a £3,000 fine by Scottish Football's governing body after being found in breach of the rules. Sign up for the Rangers newsletter Sign up 1 16/07/16 Motherwell v Rangers. Pix by Keith Campbell. John Brown Credit: Keith Campbell - The Sun Glasgow This was after the former Gers defender branded Scottish football 'corrupt' live on the club's TV channel when a goal by Nicolas Raskin was chalked off at Easter Road. Rangers were furious and raised concerns about "clarity" and "confidence" in the system. In response the Scottish FA said in a statement: "We note Rangers' response to the determination of a recent independent Judicial Panel Tribunal. "In the interests of accuracy, we wish to address some of the misleading comments contained therein: "The sanction imposed by an independent panel was entirely in keeping with the application of the rules. "The most recent and relevant example of a similar breach, the sanction imposed on Richard Foster of Motherwell FC for comments of a similar nature in the media, attests to that. "Furthermore, to address the comments regarding 'rationale behind differing outcomes', we wish to point to the fact that investigations were undertaken in previous cases outlined and that the Compliance Officers of the time saw fit to issue a censure by way of warning letter for potential breaches deemed insufficiently serious to be progressed to a Notice of Complaint. "This system of proportionality has been adopted since the inception of the Judicial Panel Protocol in 2011. "Indeed, such discretion was exercised last season when the Compliance Officer wrote to the club to warn of the future conduct of players following matters involving Vaclav Cerny, Dujon Sterling and Mohamed Diomande. "We also note that Rangers intend to contact the association to seek clarity on the Judicial Panel Protocol and its application. "The club is, in fact, already represented on the JPP Working Group. "We have requested written reasons from the panel chair involved in the tribunal and in the interests of transparency will publish in due course. "JPP Rule 38 was introduced in response to the referee strike of 2010, when match officials campaigned for greater protection after enduring sustained personal criticism from clubs and fans. Ahead of a new season, we remind clubs of their responsibilities in this regard." More to follow....
