Rangers Joins Spl Fixture Row

Glasgow Rangers has joined the growing number of clubs calling for the Scottish Premier League’s controversial fixture split to be scrapped after being handed three away games in a row.

The SPL table started dividing into two sections of six for the final five games back in 2001 and this season’s split has angered some clubs.

Motherwell have mounted a protest while St Mirren say their schedule is unfair.

Now leaders Rangers have claimed there is a ‘lack of sporting integrity’ when it comes to arranging the matches.

Rangers are 13 points ahead of Glasgow rivals Celtic and on the brink of retaining their title. However that has not prevented them entering the debate over the final five league fixtures.

Those were announced on Saturday, with the top six playing off for the title and qualification for the Champions League and Europa League, while the bottom six fight it out to avoid relegation.

Motherwell said that they plan to challenge their fixtures as they are unhappy at having to play a third fixture of the season away to Celtic.

St Mirren are angry at having to face a third trip of the season away to relegation rivals Falkirk.

The SPL has responded by saying that there was no mathematical way of ensuring that every side played 19 home and 19 away fixtures because of who had qualified in each half of the league.

However Rangers are also unhappy and chief executive Martin Bain told his club website: ‘We are obviously pleased to be in a good position in the SPL going into the post-split fixtures.

‘However, we have not won anything yet and we feel that the way the games have been scheduled places us at a competitive disadvantage.

‘We find it very disappointing and surprising that we have been asked to play three consecutive away matches in the space of 10 days at such a crucial stage of the season.’

Rangers will visit Hibernian, Dundee United and Celtic – something Rangers say ‘flies in the face’ of one of the main priorities of the SPL fixtures working group.

‘We know we have work to do in our efforts to win the championship, but it is maybe just as well we have a good lead given the schedule we are faced with,’ said Bain.

‘It is certainly our understanding that clubs are never forced to play three away games in a row before the split, so we don’t know why we are being asked to do so now.’