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Fixtures 2020/21


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Never understood that, nor why the never show live games from Ibrox/Celtic Park. 
Surely when televising a league you want the biggest opening you can get, and also the biggest stadiums on show.
It's the equivalent of the EPL never showing Liverpool or Man U at home.

Under the original deal they have the rights to show 4 games from every ground, though I believe this was adjusted to 5 as part of the recent negotiations regarding unpaid money from 2019/20.

By the time they've shown 2 Old Firm games at each stadium they would then only have 2 more games left at each. They often use one of those for "flag day", and then the other(s) will be for potential title deciders.

They know that the Old Firm games will get a big audience whenever they show it, so doubling that up with the opening game, which will already get a boost in viewing figures no matter who is playing, would be a waste.
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Under the original deal they have the rights to show 4 games from every ground, though I believe this was adjusted to 5 as part of the recent negotiations regarding unpaid money from 2019/20.

By the time they've shown 2 Old Firm games at each stadium they would then only have 2 more games left at each. They often use one of those for "flag day", and then the other(s) will be for potential title deciders.

They know that the Old Firm games will get a big audience whenever they show it, so doubling that up with the opening game, which will already get a boost in viewing figures no matter who is playing, would be a waste.
I think it was 6 home games for everyone else and 4 for Rangers and Celtic. It's the latter which has changed to bring them in line with other clubs. Think sky also got a 7th game for flag days.

Certainly every Hibs v Rangers/Celtic/Hearts game was on TV so it must have been 6.
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I can't remember the last time we had a league game at Celtic park or ibrox shown live on tv, whereas near enough every one of our home matches against both is shown live.  Probably the same for most clubs.

Even last season on the opening day we played away at the champions and it was a saturday 3pm ko, so pretty sure it wasn't shown live on tv. Thank f**k!

Is this just because they're considered to be generally far too one sided?  Doesn't make that much sense, as the OF clubs home and away records are usually similar are they not?  In terms of crowd influence, it's only really at Pittodrie, Easter Road and Tynecastle where they feel like proper away matches for the OF on tv anyway, so can't see a big difference for the majority of other opponents.

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1 hour ago, craigkillie said:


Under the original deal they have the rights to show 4 games from every ground, though I believe this was adjusted to 5 as part of the recent negotiations regarding unpaid money from 2019/20.

By the time they've shown 2 Old Firm games at each stadium they would then only have 2 more games left at each. They often use one of those for "flag day", and then the other(s) will be for potential title deciders.

They know that the Old Firm games will get a big audience whenever they show it, so doubling that up with the opening game, which will already get a boost in viewing figures no matter who is playing, would be a waste.

I still feel like TV games should be to "sell the product", so you should be showing games at the best grounds.

Showing Celtic/Rangers taking over away grounds like McDiarmid or Hamiltons ground (what's it named now?), just adds to the "tinpot" myth that goes around the UK. 

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1 hour ago, Lebowski said:

I think it was 6 home games for everyone else and 4 for Rangers and Celtic. It's the latter which has changed to bring them in line with other clubs. Think sky also got a 7th game for flag days.

Certainly every Hibs v Rangers/Celtic/Hearts game was on TV so it must have been 6.

It was 6 and 4 previously, but is now 4 for everyone (or would have been but for the negotiation due to last season ending early).

Edited by craigkillie
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It was 6 and 4 previously, but is now 4 for everyone (or would have been but for the negotiation due to last season ending early).
Is that definitely right? Because I don't see how Sky could get all the games they'd want if that's the case. They would only be able to broadcast 4 games from Easter Road for example, so assuming Hibs Hearts in the top 6 they'd be missing on two derbies/games v Celtic and Rangers for both clubs.
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Yes, that is definitely right, this was already discussed on here previously. The clubs had explicitly requested this to be part of the negotiation, and therefore the deal agreed was 48 matches with 4 from each ground.

Of course, they won't have to worry about broadcasting Edinburgh derbies this season anyway.

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Yes, that is definitely right, this was already discussed on here previously. The clubs had explicitly requested this to be part of the negotiation, and therefore the deal agreed was 48 matches with 4 from each ground.
Of course, they won't have to worry about broadcasting Edinburgh derbies this season anyway.
Fair enough, thanks for clarifying it.
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44 minutes ago, Romeo said:
51 minutes ago, akuram said:
There is no chance St Johnstone will get a home first match. It just never happens.

Yes it has.

I'm fairly sure it's happened twice in a decade, and one of those times it was hard coded in as we were the promoted side and had to get "flag day", so technically St Johnstone have only been awarded a home opener "through the luck of the draw" once in ten seasons.

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9 minutes ago, RandomGuy. said:

I'm fairly sure it's happened twice in a decade, and one of those times it was hard coded in as we were the promoted side and had to get "flag day", so technically St Johnstone have only been awarded a home opener "through the luck of the draw" once in ten seasons.

After winning the  1st Division in 2005/06, our first game in the SPL season 2006/7 was away to ICT.

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I'm fairly sure it's happened twice in a decade, and one of those times it was hard coded in as we were the promoted side and had to get "flag day", so technically St Johnstone have only been awarded a home opener "through the luck of the draw" once in ten seasons.
The poster said this had "never happened"

Which is not correct.
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Our last 10 seasons are 3 home and 7 away. But there's no reason why it shouldn't be alternative home and away starts as much as possible.

You just know this season we'll get a home opening match as it'll likely be behind closed doors!

Not sure on the decision making process, but the opening fixtures don't seem to be completely random when you look at our last 10 seasons;

Aberdeen (H), Aberdeen (A), Hearts (A), Hearts (H), Ross County (A), Hearts (A), Aberdeen (H), Kilmarnock (A), Kilmarnock (A), Celtic (A)

Possibly they have a set list based on finishing positions from the previous season, e.g. 1st  v 8th, 9th v 2nd etc.. .??

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3 hours ago, Romeo said:

Remember Lawwell has 2 w's when you are posting in here after the fixtures are released.

Likewise it also might be worth remembering that Dave King is no longer chairman at Rangers* & Stewart Robertson still sits on the SPFL board. ;)

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1 hour ago, RandomGuy. said:

I'm fairly sure it's happened twice in a decade, and one of those times it was hard coded in as we were the promoted side and had to get "flag day", so technically St Johnstone have only been awarded a home opener "through the luck of the draw" once in ten seasons.

Do you think it makes a difference to get a home game at the start of the season?

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