SPL Mystery

[leehack]

I noticed this a few days ago and my Dad noticed today, so i am not being stupid. In the SPL there are 12 teams, yet each team has played 38 games, how on earth does that work out, anyone know?

[Duncan Rounding]

Good one Lee!
Maybe they use different calulators up there?

[pnagames]

they dont just play twich each team

they have a weird fixture schedule

[Duncan Rounding]

...they have a weird fixture schedule

That's for sure. I presume they play some teams twice yet other teams only once.

[fergusw]

Each team gets to play every other team 3 times. 1 home and 2 away or visa-versa.
After 33 games the SPL do a funky "2nd phase split" of the league into 2 groups of 6 teams. Each team then plays a further 5 games BUT ONLY from the top 6 or the bottom 6 teams, depending on which group they lie in at this point.

[pnagames]

i knew there was a reasonable explanation

[leehack]

Kinell what a setup, thanks for clarifying anyway. So you could play a team 3 times at home and once away in any season. So they create 2 leagues to let the plebs fight it out and let rangers and celtic see if they can beat the other 4 - i can see the appeal kind of.

[fergusw]

Kinell what a setup, thanks for clarifying anyway. So you could play a team 3 times at home and once away in any season. So they create 2 leagues to let the plebs fight it out and let rangers and celtic see if they can beat the other 4 - i can see the appeal kind of.

They normally arrange the fixtures around a priority listing based on position so Rangers and Celtic normally get preferential treatment and they get 2 home and 2 away. It then filters down the league according to importance etc so the better the team the more change of a 2 home 2 away rather than a 1 home 3 away.

[fergusw]

The "Big Two" also get some preferential fixture treatment over the "Old Firm" derby with some fixed dates e.g. New Year's Day Old Firm Derby is a "firm" favourite!

Eeek! I don't even follow football anymore! :0

[grantglendinnin]

Just a quick note to confirm the SPL did indeed win Celtic this years title