League Fixtures

[Rob R]

I find it amazing that the Scottish League fixtures list, had all four Lanarkshire clubs playing at home yesterday. It does nothing for the clubs, attracting the floating spectator when your club is away.

[MadMac]

I had noticed that, and all four away the previous week. It begs the question, has either event happened before?

[Rob R]

I remember the late John Fairgrieve criticising The Scottish League in his Sunday Mail column some time in the early 1980's that Hearts, Hibs and Meadowbank were all away on the same Saturday, leaving the capital with no league fixture that Saturday. All 3 clubs were in different divisions from each other then , unlike Saturdays fixtures where teams were in the same division and a lot easier to work out that when you are at home your local rival is away.

[BMCCOLL]

The English League had a more systematic approach to compiling their fixtures, see Simon Ingles' superb history for details. And it doesn't surprise me in any way of the SPFL's bungling. What idiots.

[MadMac]

The English League had a more systematic approach to compiling their fixtures, see Simon Ingles' superb history for details. And it doesn't surprise me in any way of the SPFL's bungling. What idiots.

I remember seeing a picture in a book from the early 1970s showing how the Football League worked out it's "pairings" in terms of who couldn't be at home at the same time. Basically, it was a huge wallchart with team names and lines drawn between teams like, for example, Stoke City and Port Vale.

[BMCCOLL]

Ingles' book has a terrific chapter on how the League compiled its fixtures. The chart of 'pairings' was just one part, others included local holidays, no clashes with other events eg airshows and clubs within the same police district not being at home at the same time. Also clubs wanted home and away games on alternate weeks at the beginning and end of the season to help balance their books.