SPFL move to rectify fixture anomaly over Old Firm visits

The SPFL yesterday moved to calm a row sparked by last season’s fixtures.

The outcry came when Motherwell, Hamilton and Partick Thistle were all handed just one home game each against Rangers and Celtic before the league split in April.

Before Gers’ 2012 financial collapse, SPFL chiefs traditionally guaranteed their top-flight rivals at minimum of three visits from the big two and their large travelling supports

That practice, though, was abandoned last term as the Light Blues made their Premiership return.

But that left Well staring at a £150,000 black hole in their budget as, like Accies, they missed out on two further lucrative clashes against the big two after finishing outside the top six.

Now, though, SPFL chiefs have moved to satisfy their concerns this term by handing the affected clubs four pre-split home fixtures against the Glasgow pair.

However, Hearts and Dundee – who both banked significant windfalls when they hosted the Old Firm twice before the campaign run-in last term – plus newly-promoted Hibs will only welcome Rangers and Celtic to their grounds once this time around.

Motherwell chief operating officer Alan Burrows said his club were pleased to see last year’s disappointment resolved this term.

He said: “It was always the expectation this was going to happen.

“The discussions after last year was that the anomaly would effectively sort itself this season and then after that the SPFL would take a view about how we perhaps go back to the old model which gives everybody in the league a more level playing field.”