http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/s...rem/8745142.stm

"For most fans, Inverness is a bit further away than Falkirk," said Blair.

"It's an extra few hours up the A9 for the clubs in the central belt but we just have to deal with that. ''

So there you have an Aberdeen fixture on New Year's Day and a trip for one set of supporters along the goat track.

The SPL have also announced who they want to finish in the top six:

"But if Celtic, Dundee United, Hearts, Hibernian, Motherwell and Rangers finish in the top six this season then all clubs will play 19 home games and 19 away games. '' Are they intellectually challenged or something?

I think you've taken your quotes out of the context of the article. I dont see anything negative when reading the whole article. Also, who say's Aberdeen are to be our derby team. It could just as easily be St Johnstone. Same distance. Better road.

I think his statement is pretty good. Having a season ticket and living in Edinburgh Midweek games are a no-go for me.

The SPL have also announced who they want to finish in the top six:

No they haven't. He's just stating a fact. Nothing to whinge about in that article.

surely they are just basing the fixtures on the top six of last season, which is fair enough really and no other idea in the gievn scheme makes more sense, and if anyone breaks into the top six all the fixtures go to pot. thats the problem with the split. get rid of it! bring in more teams!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/s...rem/8745142.stm

"For most fans, Inverness is a bit further away than Falkirk," said Blair.

"It's an extra few hours up the A9 for the clubs in the central belt but we just have to deal with that. ''

So there you have an Aberdeen fixture on New Year's Day and a trip for one set of supporters along the goat track.

The SPL have also announced who they want to finish in the top six:

"But if Celtic, Dundee United, Hearts, Hibernian, Motherwell and Rangers finish in the top six this season then all clubs will play 19 home games and 19 away games. '' Are they intellectually challenged or something?

Being a little over sensitive I would say ... and also selectively quoting !!! Article seems fair enough and truthful .....

"For most fans, Inverness is a bit further away than Falkirk," said Blair. "It's an extra few hours up the A9 for the clubs in the central belt but we just have to deal with that. You need to put it in context, though - down south you have Middlesbrough and Portsmouth in the same division, for example".

"We look at which clubs have had long journeys on midweek nights or at Christmas in recent seasons and try to avoid repeating them. But we can't have Inverness playing away on all those dates; that wouldn't be fair either."

Motherwell and Rangers were among the clubs calling for an end to the controversial SPL split last season, and Blair acknowledges that it can create imbalances. He said: "These happen when a club who finished in the top six one year finishes in the bottom six the next year, or vice versa. But if Celtic, Dundee United, Hearts, Hibernian, Motherwell and Rangers finish in the top six this season then all clubs will play 19 home games and 19 away games. Also, if this happens, clubs in each half of the split will play their opponents twice at home and twice away".

Far better to just base it on what happened last year than some seeding system that would drop a higher-placed team like 'Well for a more popular club like Aberdeen. That would be more controversial.

Our fixtures around the festive period are pretty good I must say.

Pretty fair article I thought. I do though wonder at some central-belters who think a trip to Inverness is a major expedition.

I regularly bomb down to Glasgow/Edinburgh for a day, leave early...day's work...home in the evening. They are spoiled rotten down there as far as travelling to most away games goes.

If you look at their fansites they tend to make it a weekend visit. Most of them like the weekends away (I remember reading a hearts 'site which someone posted on here). Only complaints seemed to be the stadium being so cold.

The Hibs fans that come up here love it and have missed ICT's presence in the league. Were looking forward to resolving the only thing wrong with our visits in the past and thats the result.

The Hibs fans that come up here love it and have missed ICT's presence in the league. Were looking forward to resolving the only thing wrong with our visits in the past and thats the result. :D

Agree, us st. johnstone fans cant wait to get up there. good day up on the train.

Oh we are 'rivals' for this year;)