What are your thoughts on the 2023/24 fixture lists?
This was my third year in charge of the process and I can say quite confidently that there is no such thing as a perfect fixture list! Clubs and supporters understandably focus on their own schedules but our job is to try to produce the most balanced set of fixtures across each division. There are always things you would want to improve but, overall, I am more than satisfied with where we got to.
The main pressure, as always, is on the cinch Premiership fixture list. Taking into account European, international and domestic dates, there is only one spare slot before the turn of the year – the midweek of December 19/20. The winter break in January is welcomed by clubs and players but it does mean we have more midweek matches.
Who produces the fixtures?
This is our eighth season working with GotSoccer, who are based in the United States. They work with a number of other European leagues including France, Poland, Greece and Switzerland as well as the CBF in Brazil. GotSoccer use optimisation software to come up with a set of fixtures based on the information and restrictions (‘fixture recipe’) we provide. A number of versions will be produced and refined before a final decision is made. I’d like to take the opportunity of thanking GotSoccer for all their help and expertise during the process.
What are some of the biggest challenges when compiling the fixtures?
Cross-divisional constraints are definitely one of the biggest. I am pleased to say we have managed to avoid any clashes between Dundee and Dundee United. Ross County and Inverness Caledonian Thistle are traditionally at home on alternate weekends and we have limited the clashes to three. We have also limited the number of times Aberdeen and Cove Rangers are at home on the same weekend. The cinch League 1 and cinch League 2 fixtures are inter-linked due to the groundshare between Hamilton Academical and Clyde at New Douglas Park.
What goes into the fixture recipes?
There’s a fair bit. All clubs are guaranteed to have three home and three away games in their first six fixtures. The big city clubs generally don’t play at home on the same day, although there are clashes in Edinburgh in November and March. This was unavoidable as both Heart of Midlothian and Hibernian have 17 home matches before the split and therefore have six home games out of 11 in the first and third phases of the season. We will discuss those clashes with the clubs and relevant stakeholders nearer the time.
All the pairings in the cinch Premiership have been flipped from last year. For example, the first meeting of Aberdeen and Ross County will be at Pittodrie because it was in Dingwall in fixture rounds 1-11 last season. Clubs who had 17 home games before the split in 2022/23 will have 16 this season and the opposite also applies.
Clubs at home on December 30 will be away on January 2 and vice versa. In the cinch Premiership, clubs will be at home on two or three of the five fixture rounds of midweek evening matches. We try to minimise travel around the festive period but unfortunately this is not always possible. Solving one issue can give us problems elsewhere in the fixture list. As ever, it is a difficult balancing act.
We also factor in club request dates and Police Scotland may ask us to avoid other major events. For example, Ayr United generally won’t be at home on the same day as big meetings at the nearby racecourse. Where possible, Hearts will be away from home when there are major rugby matches at Murrayfield – this year Scotland have summer test matches ahead of the Rugby World Cup in France.
What impact will the UCI Cycling World Championships have on fixtures?
This is a major event taking place in Glasgow, Edinburgh and across many other areas of Scotland from August 3-13. It is fantastic to see Scotland attracting events such as this and we have been working with relevant stakeholders to mitigate the resource and transport challenges during this period. In particular, we have been liaising with Police Scotland for several months and we have considered the impact of the event as part of the overall schedule. However, the reality is that one of Celtic/Rangers, Hearts/Hibernian and Dundee/Dundee United will be at home on any given weekend. There is inevitably going to be disruption due to road closures at certain times and travel times may be increased as a result. We would encourage all clubs and supporters to consider travel arrangements during this period carefully.
Why are clubs not at home one week and away the next?
It’s a fair question but it is not mathematically possible, even without all the other fixture constraints. We do try to limit instances of H-H or A-A (‘doubles’) as much as we can. Overall, the numbers of doubles across the four divisions is slightly improved on last season.
When are the derby matches in 2023/24?
The traditional derby games will again take place over the festive period but we have split them up in the cinch Premiership this year. Sky Sports will show Hibernian v Heart of Midlothian on Wednesday December 27 and Celtic v Rangers on Saturday December 30. The first meeting of Rangers and Celtic has been confirmed for Sunday September 3, live on Sky Sports at 12 noon. The first Edinburgh derby is set for Tynecastle on the weekend of October 7/8. The cinch Championship derby matches – including Dunfermline Athletic v Raith Rovers – are scheduled for Tuesday January 2 while those in cinch League 1 & 2 will be played on Saturday December 30. As ever, we have sought to limit ‘away travel’ as much as possible over the festive period but our ability to do this is impacted by constraints elsewhere in the schedule.
Do last season’s champions start at home?
Yes – all the clubs who won their divisions last season will be at home for their flag day. Celtic will begin the defence of their cinch Premiership trophy against Ross County at Celtic Park on Saturday August 5, live on Sky Sports with a 12.30pm kick-off. Dundee host Motherwell in their first game back in the top flight while Dunfermline Athletic welcome Airdrieonians in their cinch Championship opener. Stirling Albion’s flag day is against Edinburgh City at Forthbank and our newest member club, The Spartans, have also been given a home start – they will play Clyde at Ainslie Park.
How many live TV games will be shown this coming season?
Our main broadcast partner Sky Sports can show up to 48 cinch Premiership matches exclusively live in 2023/24 before the new deal begins the following season. BBC Scotland have the rights to up to 20 live cinch Championship matches – these are normally scheduled for Friday evenings and their first selection is Arbroath v Dundee United on August 4. The end-of-season play-offs will be covered by Sky Sports, BBC Scotland and BBC ALBA. This season, BBC ALBA also have the rights to show up to 12 matches live in cinch League 1.
What are the dates for the post-split cinch Premiership games?
Fixture rounds 34-38 will be played on the weekends of April 27/28, May 4/5, May 11/12, the midweek of May 14/15 and the weekend of May 18/19.
Will this season be shorter than the last one?
The 2022/23 campaign was certainly a marathon, with the unprecedented winter World Cup in Qatar meaning a longer season. We kicked off with the Viaplay Cup on July 9 and ended with that incredible play-off in Dingwall on June 4. The Viaplay Cup and League seasons in 2023/24 both begin a week later and our final play-off match is scheduled for Sunday May 26. The focus will then be on the European Championships in Germany, which begin on June 14 and, if Steve Clarke’s side can continue their outstanding run of form, will involve Scotland!
What’s the situation with European football for 2023/24?
It’s fantastic that we again have three clubs – Celtic, Rangers and Aberdeen – guaranteed group stage football, with Heart of Midlothian and Hibernian hoping to join them via the qualifying rounds. Celtic go straight into the group stage of the Champions League and Rangers enter that competition in qualifying round three but are assured of at least a place in the Europa League group stage. Aberdeen are in the Europa League play-offs, with a group stage spot in the Europa Conference League should they lose. Scotland are ranked ninth in the UEFA access list, which will again mean direct entry to the group stage of the Champions League for the winners of the 2023/24 cinch Premiership.
What is the situation with Queen’s Park matches in the forthcoming season?
Queen’s Park will be playing their games at Hampden Park after reaching an agreement with the Scottish FA. They have been given permission by the SPFL Board to use Lesser Hampden for their early fixtures in the Viaplay Cup and cinch Championship as the National Stadium will be unavailable until after the 150th anniversary match between Scotland and England on September 12. Following discussions with the Scottish FA, some Queen’s Park matches have been moved to Friday nights.
Are you already planning for 2024/25?
Work has already started on a draft schedule for 2024/25, which is when the new cycle of UEFA club competitions begin. The increased number of European dates – the group stages are extended into January – will put further pressure on the domestic calendar so it will certainly be a challenge fitting everything in! This will be a key topic of discussion with clubs in the months ahead.
Anything else to add?
We are very much looking forward to what will be the 11th season of the SPFL following the merger of the SPL and SFL in June 2013. It’s a very exciting time for Scottish football, with record attendances in the SPFL last season, five clubs in Europe again and the success of the national team.
It’s a privilege to be involved in something that matters so much to so many people. I’m sure season 2023/24 will be another one to remember and it’s not long now until we kick off with the group stage of the Viaplay Cup on Saturday July 15.
The continued growth of the women’s game has also been great to see and I’m sure that will continue in the months and years to come. Our colleagues at the SWPL are publishing their fixture lists this Monday, July 3, so that is something else to look out for, and we have the draw for the first and second rounds of the SPFL Trust Trophy on Tuesday July 4.
I would like to wish all 42 member clubs all the very best for the coming season and hope the fans enjoy their football in season 2023/24.
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