Lobey_Dosser

Dundee would have been club 11 and Accies club 12. So Accies would have took on Hearts fixtures, not Dundee. This seems to have worked out when you look at Motherwell fixtures. The Tannadice scenario is a valid point. I'd guess that this relates to the number of times the two Dundee teams play at home on the same weekend, iis kept to a minimum.

According to the Sunday Herald, a Qatari group are looking to gazump the imminent fan takeover at St Mirren. Wonder if they many any approach to Motherwell...

My views are clear and believe the club are in the wrong for not clarifying the situation before setting budgets and writing up the sales pitch for season tickets. The statement issued is an utter embarrassment and the sooner we move on the better. I understand the financial 'fair play' argument but where does the sporting disadvantage stem from?

It wasn't a rule though, it was an unwritten agreement. An agreement that evaporated the day we rightly deemed Rangers not to be a special case.

Precisely, I struggle to comprehend how anyone can read this any other way. Since Rangers were liquidated in 2012 a number of things have changed. The SPL joined ranks with the lower league clubs to become the SPFL. A number of rules would have been tweaked accordingly. Surely all clubs should have checked that the unwritten rules remained in place. Even if it were the same governing body as 5 years ago, Motherwell have went through a takeover and now have a very different board. Surely you clarify any areas of doubt when income is at stake? It would appear that Burrows lead on the ST increase to accommodate 3 'category A' games. So he's assumed this based on an unwritten rule that was last in place when he was head of comms. Really poor planning in my opinion.

The way to restore parity is to move to a 10 or 16 team league and play each team the same number of times home and away. A change that Motherwell, Accies and Thistle are unlikely to vote in favour of.

Rangers have been given Dundee Utds fixtures, in line with the process that has been in place for many years. The only thing that has been adjusted is the order. Otherwise you'd have the same run of fixtures in alternate years. While I understand the sentiment, I don't subscribe to the financial disadvantage argument, there is nothing even about the finances in Scotland. When Accies replaced Hibs, we'd have benefited more than most clubs, albeit on a smaller scale. Similarly, we take 150 fans to Ross County but 1500 to Partick Thistle. There is no balance, some years you win and some years you lose. We'll be well in next year with 6 home games against Celtic, Rangers and Aberdeen. To rig figures any other way would be granting Rangers and their fans a special status. Given the nature of events since the liquidation of Rangers, our stance is one of incompetence and embarrassment, implying that the infamous Armageddon argument had merit at Fir Park. Utimately, our precarious financial predicament is skewing the objectivity (and professionalism) of our Board.

Don't particularly disagree with the sentiment but the majority if not all premier league clubs agreed to it.

Dear Motherwell, There is no Old Firm. Now fucking get your house in order.

If there is a £100k at stake, most definitely. Given the complications of the Rangers saga, it was incompetent not to check.

Precisely. Highly unprofessional and misguided to assume anything, particularly in our current financial predicament.

There's no competitive advantage, we are talking about a team just promoted. Ross County should be viewed no differently to Rangers. The Leagur cup game will help financially but bearing it mind gate receipts are split, it won't come close to covering a league game at £25 a head.

I did say almost guaranteed. We can be as creative as we like but with the loan market is always going to be an obvious market.

Like Burrows initial reaction, I'm not in favour of the Partick Thistle statement at all. In the interest of sporting integrity we ensured that the newly formed Rangers club startedin the lowest division and rightly so. Now that they have arrived in the league, they shouldn't be treated in anyway different to the other 11 teams in the league. Unfortunately there is the odd negativity to such parity but it's hypocritical to complain and we are playing right into the 'blue pound' argument. Budgeting for 3 'old firm' homes games without consulting with the spfl is utterly incompetent on the part of Partick Thistle and by the sounds of it, Motherwell.

Celtic gave away their right to the first game being at home so that another club wouldn't lose a home gate when the friendly comes around.

That's because Celtc are cancelling their 2nd game to play Inter Milan. It's been deemed only fair that should a team cancel for a glamour friendly, it should coincide with a home game. Good move.

We are almost guaranteed to bring in one or two on loan. If it happened to Lee Erwin, I'd be delighted. I expect him to have other and arguably more appealing options though.

Ironically, the misgivings stem from the SPFL not manipulating 'Old Firm' fixtures to suits provincial clubs.

We had Celtic and Aberdeen twice at home pre-split last season. Likewise, we'll get them twice at home next season. Any shortfall that arises from these fixtures would be due to a Board oversight.

The computer just done the same as its done in previous years though, replacing the relegated team with the promoted team. There's been an oversight due to the assumption that the introduction of Rangers would lead to a systemic change.

I'd agree with that. Going by Burrows reaction though and ST pricing, there was an assumption that we'd return to pre newco traditions.

In principle I don't think fixtures should be balanced to reflect size of club. However, I think today emphasis that the league structure should be balanced in a way that you play every team the same number of times home and away. We, along with Accies and Thistle by the looks of it, have taken a significant financial hit today. However it's a structure all clubs seem to support.

So, we raised ST prices, partly to reflect the increase in 'Category 1' games...

Away twice to both Celtic and Rangers. Bad news financially but good news for the soul.

It's Andy Devlin. He tends to know the score at Fir Park. I don't think he was saying anyone was definitely away. Just reported interest.