St-Mirren v Rangers fixture mystery

The build up to Sunday's match has been given an extra edge by the SPL's decision to extend the season for the benefit of Rangers should they reach the final of the UEFA Cup.

VIDEO REPORT

By granting an extension Celtic, Hibs, Motherwell, Dundee Utd, Aberdeen and St Mirren will have their season extended with Celtic, Hibs, Dundee Utd and Aberdeen having an 11 day wait to play their final match.

After being granted a winter's break in December that no other club even considered, a month that proved very costly to Celtic, Rangers are now bleating about not getting the extension that they require.

Yesterday Walter Smith brought up the forgotten St Mirren-Rangers fixture postponed on November 12 for the benefit of the Scotland-Italy game on November 18. Smith mentioned that that fixture should have been arranged ahead of the Celtic-Rangers game postponed on January 2.

It certainly should have, with December 5 and 19 free why wasn't the postponed St Mirren game played then?

While Celtic played their postponed game against Falkirk on December 11 Rangers, with or without the approval/support of the SPL forgot all about their game with St Mirren.

The free Wednesdays of December 5 and December 19 passed with the St Mirren game forgotten, perhaps Rangers didn't fancy a trip to Love Street before facing Lyon on December 12 or before the visit to Aberdeen on December 23.

In most circumstances the St Mirren and well publicised Gretna games could be played quite easily later in the season but due to a variety of reasons such as the death of Phil O'Donnell, the poor condition of Rangers relaid pitch, Scottish Cup replays and reaching the CIS Cup Final Rangers have fallen three fixtures behind.

Nothing could be done about the circumstances above, these things happen in football, but there would be just two games to be arranged and Rangers would have played one less fixture since the turn of the year if the Gretna AND St Mirren fixtures had been played during December when there was free midweeks.

Meanwhile Celtic were playing fixtures left right and centre without whimpering or looking for a winter's break.

Shakhtar Donetsk and AC Milan were played within seven days in the Champions League with a trip to Hearts inbetween proving costly with two points dropped.

Returning from Milan Celtic played their rearranged game with Falkirk at the first opportunity, December 11, inbetween drawing at home with St Mirren and losing at Inverness.

These things happen, that's the consequences of success we accept it but how would the SPL table look if we'd been able to forget about the Hearts or Inverness away games and played the Falkirk match at a time that suited us better?

If Celtic had been able to side-step tricky looking fixtures in December for the benefit of 'the co-efficient of course' how would they be sitting in the league table?

Whilst Celtic were dropping nine points during December Rangers lost two points while playing two less fixtures.

WAS THAT FAIR?

DID THE SPL OPERATE SPORTING INTEGRITY?

On the subject of integrity we now have Rangers squealing about the need for an extension of the SPL, with that being granted, should they reach the UEFA Cup Final, they would now like a longer extension to the season.

What has caused this? For long enough we were told that Rangers didn't want an extension to the season, as Walter Smith confirmed on April 3: "But I would like to clarify something right now. Nobody from Rangers has ever asked the SPL to extend the season and we will not ask the SPL to extend the season."

Roll the clock forward three weeks and it's extensions all round, whether it's Martin Bain with: "Why is the season simply not extended to conclude on May 27 regardless?" or Walter Smith with: "Actually, they had no alternative but to extend the season if Rangers reach the UEFA Cup final.
"What they have done in the other scenario is put us in a situation where we could play four games in a week. We accept it, but is it right from the league's point of view to force a club to do that?"

Celtic's win over Rangers on April 16 has changed everything. A point for Rangers in that game would have made the league a formality, games could have been fitted in at any time without having any effect on the title race.

Now Rangers and the SPL have a problem and if Rangers reach the UEFA Cup Final it will be Celtic, Motherwell, Hibs, Dundee Utd, Aberdeen, Motherwell and St Mirren that suffer with their season extended to accommodate Rangers.

If the SPL had made Rangers play through December, as the other 11 SPL clubs did, then there would be no backlog or controversy. The problems have all been caused by the SPL allowing Rangers to select their fixtures through December whilst Celtic played on to their cost dropping nine points during the month.

A win for Celtic tomorrow will really kick things off, any other result should see Rangers win the league quite comfortably.

Delaying the final game of the season to suit Rangers is unfair and distorts the sporting integrity of the SPL as Peter Lawwell rightly highlights.

Walter Smith rightly points out that Celtic and Lawwell are looking after themselves. Correct. 100%. And extending the season to accommodate a club that has already enjoyed a winter break is unfair.

Rangers are entitled to their break in December... provided they catch up with the fixtures later on.

Expecting six other clubs to extend their season to suit Rangers is unfair and should be resisted by all those that wish to compete on equal terms.

VIDEO REPORT Centenary Celts clinch the title

Can you believe it? It's now 20 years since 80,000 squeezed into the old Celtic Park to watch the league being clinched against Dundee.

A double from Andy Walker after Chris Morris opened the scoring gave Celtic the first leg of the double with the Scottish Cup clinched a few weeks later against Dundee United.

It was an amazing time, an amazing season packed with memories: Billy Stark's winner against Rangers, Souness getting sent off, last minute winners at Dundee United and Dundee over Christmas, McAvennie's double against Rangers at New Year, McStay's goal at Ibrox, Walker's winner at Ibrox (thanks Anton), coming back from the death against Hearts in the Scottish Cup and McAvennie's double to beat Dundee United plus various others.

CLICK HERE for Centenary video

SPL cave in to Rangers, it's official

SPL extend the season to accomodate Rangers

It's official, if Rangers reach the final of the UEFA Cup the SPL will extend the season to yet again accomodate Rangers.

Depending on the outcome of Rangers games with Fiorentina Celtic's season will either end on May 18 or May 22- incredible.

Two fixture schedules have been produced CLICK HERE to view with special provision made for Rangers outstanding games against Motherwell and St Mirren.

St Mirren players have a holiday booked for May 18 but will be required to postpone that to play Rangers on May 20 if Rangers go through to the final.

This is the same SPL that excused Rangers from facing the mighty FC Gretna in December and also decided against scheduling the St Mirren-Rangers match, postponed for the Scotland-Italy game, whilst Celtic played their postponed fixture with Falkirk.

The lesson here is to avoid difficult looking fixtures claiming to be working for 'the co-efficient' and at the end of the day the plans of Celtic, Aberdeen, Dundee United, Motherwell, Hibs and St Mirren will be disrupted to accomodate Rangers

VIDEO REPORT

Bhoys on top as Rangers fall like flies...

It wasn't pretty, it was pretty ugly, but we're back on top of the league again thanks to the 1-0 win over Aberdeen.

Georgios Samaras wasn't exactly a hero, like most of his team-mates his performance was below par, but he got the goal that turned a draw into a win.

Four more wins like that and we could be champions as Rangers squad falls apart with another two casualties stretchered off at Hampden as they limped past St Johnstone into the Scottish Cup Final.

VIDEO REPORT

 

 

THANK JAN FOR THAT!

 

Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink's last gasp winner against Rangers set Celts worldwide into ecstacy and Scottish football into meltdown.

As supporters wake up to hangovers of joy the SFA and SPL have got a nightmare on their hands as they sort out the fixture list and the rammy at the final whistle.

Inbetween two ties against Fiorentina Rangers return to Celtic Park almost certainly without Carlos Cueller, Davie Weir and Alan McGregor.

Hopefully the Celts will be sitting two points clear at the top of the league with the benefits of an 8 day break after beating Aberdeen on Saturday.

ShuNuke Nakamura and big Jan got the goals that mattered CLICK HERE for my video report including match highlights from the BBC

Balde's goal puts Celts back in the title hunt

The slightest of touches from Bobo Balde deflected home a 51st minute free-kick to give Celtic's reserve side three precious points at Love Street today.

The win cuts St Mirren's lead at the top of the table down to five points with Celtic having two games in hand.

Paul McGowan opened the scoring for Celtic with a 16th minute header with Balde extending the lead early in the second half when he deflected home a free kick from substitute Michael Graham.

Saints pulled a goal back through Mark Docherty but Celtic held on to take the points with Tommy Burns a welcome spectator at the match.

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Youth's Cup Joy

Congratulations to John McLaughlan and his youth side on reaching the final of the SFA Youth Cup.

A 2-1 win tonight at Aberdeen did the trick with the prolific Kevin Cawley and captain Jason Marr scoring the goals to reach next week's final against Rangers.

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From Motherwell to Rangers BRING IT ON

It wasn't so elusive after all!

A win, some goals, some passion, commitment, it was all there to see at Motherwell as we enjoyed a comfortable 4-1 win.

Too often we've made teams look better than they are, yesterday with a good balance about the team we created chances and scored them.

Rangers will be a totally different test but with some belief and confidence around we should be well capable of beating 'Watties Invincibles'.

VIDEO REPORT

Hutchinson injury blow as Killen sinks Killie

A first half hat-trick from Kiwi Chris Killen sunk Killie but that's overdoing the alliteration!

The reserves continued their recent impressive form with a 3-1 win over Kilmarnock from a side strong on first team experience.

Boba Balde and Mark Wilson played 90 minutes in defence whilst Japanese midfielder Koki Mizuno completed the game despite picking up a serious looking injury a fortnight ago against Gretna.

A hamstring injury to Ben Hutchinson put a dampener on the result however and it looks like the striker could be out of action for the remainder of the season.

CLICK HERE for the video report.

John Fallon's blunt opinion on another depressing performance

It's always dangerous to think that things can't get any worse, they can.

A season of hope has turned into a nightmare that now makes playing Celtic an attractive prospect to most SPL sides.

Motherwell became the first opponents to win at Celtic Park in the SPL on Saturday but after drawing with St Mirren, Kilmarnock, Hibs and Dundee United as well as losing in the cups to Hearts and Aberdeen it wasn't really too much of a shock.

The real shock and anger comes from the performance with few real leaders on the park willing to take responsibility showing that there are serious problems in the dressing room as highlighted by the actions and words of Scott McDonald and Derek Riordan over the weekend.

CLICK HERE to view John Fallon's take on recent depressing events.

Let's hammer Motherwell... please

It's last orders at Celtc Park tomorrow, we've used up eight of our nine lifes and are hanging on by the thinnest of thin threads.

Neil Lennon won't be on the park, it's down to the players to show that they are worth the jersey and that they will make Rangers earn the title rather than have it handed to them.

It's time to get real, rattle in some goals, beat Motherwell to give Dundee United an even bigger incentive to beat Rangers on Sunday and see how Walter's lot react.

CLICK HERE for John Fallon's video preview.

The return of... NEIL LENNON

Entirely without prediction Neil Lennon has returned to Celtic to join the first-team coaching staff.

Since leaving a year ago, Lennon has played for Nottingham Forest and Wycombe Wandereres, but informed Paul Lambert this morning that he'd been offered a coaching job at Celtic.

Rather than attempt the impossible, Lambert released Lennon to take up the job and he will be on the bench starting with Saturday's game against Motherwell.

VIDEO REPORT

CELTIC 3-0 RANGERS Enjoy

It's incredible to think that it's now 24 years ago that a couple of brothers from Larkhall scored against Rangers.

That's brothers as in physically related, not through strange sinister organisations sworn to ssssssssssssh secrecy.

Willie and Paul, of the famous McStay's, did the trick on 2 April 1984 as Celtic dumped Rangers 3-0 on a Monday night match that wasn't worth televising.

Thankfully Celtic did capture the magic and brought out a video showing the full 90 minutes as Paul put Celtic ahead before half-time followed by a rare goal from Willie and Davie Provan completing the scoring.

CELTIC 3-0 RANGERS ENJOY THE VIDEO

John Fallon's honest video assessment of another deflating defeat

VIDEO MESSAGE

John Fallon looks back at Saturday's defeat, looks at our problems and what is required.

A typically honest assessment, he calls it straight and hopes that the players are hurting as much as the Celtic support as a championship slips away to a Rangers side that is average on a good day.

John Fallon's rallying call for Ibrox

John Fallon played in plenty of games against Rangers, including the fantastic 4-0 Scottish Cup Final win of 1969.

Only those that have been in the inside, in the dressing room, know the tensions, fears and emotions required to come out on top in these fixtures.

John's video preview lays it on the line about what's required from the Bhoys tomorrow to earn three precious points.