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Celtic don't have to go to Tynecastle for a 3rd time, they play Hearts at home on the last day. They're complaining because Rangers only have to go to Tynecastle once!

I think the split is a great idea. There might be the odd bit of controversy, but the whole of the league is more interesting. Motherwell and Hibs might complain about not being involved in much but they had a battle for 6th that wouldn't have taken place otherwise. In the lower half of the split there are 5 teams that could all go down, and every week there will be 3 six pointers with everything to play for. This arrangement of fixtures is much more interesting and fair than to have the league's finest playing the league's worst at the deciding stage. Now every team gets to battle for it's own fate against teams at the same level.

How Celtic or Rangers can complain about it is beyond me, if they're good enough to win the league then playing an extra time and Tynecastle/Easter Road shouldn't matter at all!

The way the split is means that almost every team has 5 really good, important games to end the season against similar teams to themselves. The Old Firm need to beat the best to prove they are the best, the European challengers need to beat each other to prove they're good enough for the Europa League, and the relegation battlers are playing each other every week to secure survival.

Magic!

Sorry, I'd just like to say the person above is a bit of a chufter, and anyways we will no longer have to worry about the split anymore because Celtic and Rangers are bound to join forces with the English Prem. St Mirren and the likes can 'contest' for the SPL themselves now, which may be some enthrawling stuff! I think not. I did not mind the plit in our time in the SPL though and agree that to prove you are the best you must beat the best, although i do not like how David has put his argument across.

Hail Hail!

At least some Scottish team would be contesting a Premier League title because you two would be battling relegation: let's see how many of your "fans" are still around then!

You won't be worrying about the split, you'll be worrying about whether or not you can stay in the EPL 2!

O when the Saints!

Personally i'd be in favour of extending the SPL to 20 teams to get rid of that end of season slit table molarky that as far as I can see only came about when the SPL was increased from 10 to 12 teams to sort out the fact that in the format it was the teams would be playing too many games in a season.

Bump it up to 20, have all teams face each other twice, increase the relegation zone from 1 place to 3 so there's a bit more rotation between the leagues, then merge the remaining teams into 2 divisions rather than 3 to do likewise.

There must be a few more teams out in Scotland who are able to step up to League level. In recent years we've had Elgin (this season aside anyway) have largely held their own in div 3. Annan have certainly aquitted themself well this year. Peterhead are steady in div 2, and if it weren't for the fact they grossly over stretched their finances Gretna would have been nicely placed in the proceedings.

Arshavin speaks awesome English, Chris. There was an extended interview with him a few weeks back on this very website. I suspect he's from a privelaged background. He also has a degree in fashion. What a player

What dose harry say at half time because annan always play the worst

"Bump it up to 20, have all teams face each other twice, increase the relegation zone from 1 place to 3 so there's a bit more rotation between the leagues, then merge the remaining teams into 2 divisions rather than 3 to do likewise."

And then 90% of games mean nothing. Its bad enough now but who is going to go watch Partick vs St Johnstone to see who will finish 11th and 12th in the league? Nobody!

As said above, at least with the current system the games mean something, almost every team in Scotland has something to play for.

Your right about the match officials Chris, It was a terrible mistake by the assistant to allow Annan's first goal on Saturday.

McGrazzi other fans dont find it too exciting the title between rangers and celtic every season, so a league with 12 teams who could all win it too me sound great
good riddence to the OF in my opinion, but they will never join England never ever never ever ever ever ever

The top sx split is a total joke, 18 teams, home and away keep it simple
everybody can see it except those in charge
The top 3 or 4 in the first are at least just as good as the bottom 3 or 4 in the SPL

We had an 18 team league before - and it was boring - that's why it was changed to a 10 team league, and changed again, and again and so on.

I can remember the old 2 division set up, after all, it's only 34 years ago!, maybe a 16 team top flight with 4 up and 4 down to a 16 team second division with regionalised feeder leagues might revitalise interest.

how about combining everything into a unified british league system? that way, half decent teams like hearts and dundee utd get to play in the equivalent of the current english championship, and reap the benefits of those attendances. for the lowest divisions, you could have southern, middle and northern feeder leagues.

Don't let's kid ourselves the split is simply about the big clubs playing each other again in an attempt to bring in more money. The big two are only interested in the big two and only see the teams filling the lower part of the SPL as there to get scraps from their table. It has absolutely nothing to do with better football or more excitement and anyway why can't the bottom teams pull off a surprise or two towards the end of the season and maybe upset the apple cart a little. You have to ask yourself why no other league in the world does this nonsense to realise we are a laughing stock. Believe it or not clubs can go on late runs and may well steal a european place but here the team in seventh can actually have more points than the one in sixth place. Get a league of 18 play each other twice and decent relegation and then we will not only see more competative football but also local fans supporting their local team against the bigger teams. It's not rocket science!

I reckon a 16 team SPL would be a great solution, with each team playing each of the others twice. There's easily four teams from the 1st division capable of taking on teams in the current SPL. There'd still be a few big clubs left in the 1st division who would be good enough to be promoted in the following seasons & hold their ground.
A 30 game season might seam a little short - but considering the number of games that get postponed in winter - a few gaps in the schedule would definately come in handy - rather than squeezing 3 or 4 games into a week to catch up.

With regards to this EPL2 nonsense - it'll never happen for a start, but also - surely it'd be quite a hollow victory for whoever wins the SPL without having to beat the old firm? I also think all this talk is slightly condesending towards teams like Dundee Utd. and Hearts - who in recent seasons have shown they are perfectly capable of playing the "big two" and taking the the game to them & getting results against them - a bit more consistency and one of these teams could seriously challenge the top two status of the old firm teams - and lets face it Rangers & Celtic are both playing their lowest quality of football in years...

Another 15 minutes well-spent reading your now infamous blog because I can't sleep Chris (which is my middle name incidentally).

The SPL split is universally ridiculed in every corner of european football. But, not in SFA headquarters where they all think paying punters can't differentiate between a simple name change for commercial reasons or as they-like-to-put-it 'Top-Tier Restructuring' (SPL2 my cake hole). Oh, and not in England because why should they care?, theirs truly is the best league in the world as much as my tummy hurts as I even think it, let alone say it out loud.

Mind you, we all know the benefits of standing beside your ugly pal in a nightclub on occasion...(no offence Mikey)

My point is simple and inoffensive -
i: There are plenty of tangible suggestions across the Scottish footballing fraternity of ways to wake up from this living nightmare so I don't need to go that road.
ii: Even if you sign for Lochee United at the end of the season and can't afford the Internet, your Blog is the business and is proof to me and others that you're a fantastic ambassador for our beloved game.

You're a legend sunshine. Oh, and all the best in your promotion chase so that East Fife can pick up some away points next year !!

There are two issues with the current Scottish set-up.

1. The one-up one-doen to the Self Preservation League is farcical and is only in place to maintain the status quo of certain sides. Fingers crossed that the introduction of an SPL2 and more open access will help this.

2. The lack of regionised lower leagues and relegation from the bottom of the 3rd division prevents any true freshness and competition in the lower leagues as there is little or no consequences. This is only very rarely changed when one club goes bust and someone new is bvoted into the third.

Until both these issues are addressed then the state of Scottish football will continue to be stagnant as everywhere else improves around us.