Split ahead!

Motherwell have secured a top six finish for the fourth time since the mechanism was introduced in season 2000/1 when the SPL expanded to twelve teams.   The last time was in 2007/8 when we finished third in the table.  This time we have the luxury of watching others as they scrap it out for sixth place.  Hearts are in pole position at the moment but St Johnstone could yet overtake them.

The fixture list is built on the assumption that the top six teams in the previous season play to form and finish again in the upper half.  That scenario will guarantee that everyone plays and equal number of home and away fixtures (19/19).  If that doesn’t happen then there is a chance that a 20/18 division of games will affect some teams.

This time Motherwell performed better than expected and Aberdeen failed to make the cut.  So the initial planning cannot continue.  If St Johnstone replace Hearts then a further complication will be added to the SPL’s fixture planning.

When we play Celtic in 13 April then our pre-split distribution will be 16 homes and 17 aways.  The SPL will attempt to give us 3 homes and 2 aways in the remaining five fixtures but there will be several other local factors which might come into play.

Our earlier meetings against the rest of the top six will be depend of which team gains the final place.  

If Hearts are sixth then it could be that we face United and Celtic and home and also one of the others for a third time at Fir Park.  If St Johnstone are successful then our three homes should be against United, Celtic and the Saints - but don’t count on it.

Since its introduction, the system has produced 18 home matches during a single season for Aberdeen, Inverness CT, Livingston, Kilmarnock and Gretna. Aberdeen (twice), Falkirk, Inverness CT and St Johnstone have had 20 home matches.

The dates for the last five games are listed as April 17, 24, and May 1 (Saturdays); May 5 (Wednesday) with the final game on Sunday May 9.