SPL season will kick off with Edinburgh derby

By: Ian Rose | June 14th, 2007

There were some well-made choices (for once) by the SPL this season when they scheduled their fixtures. The 2007-2008 season will have a big opener, as Hearts and Hibs clash in the 292nd competitive match between the two sides. The Edinburgh derby is one of the oldest local rivalries in sport, dating back to Christmas day, 1875.

Another bright derby point in the SPL calendar is the return of the Old Firm New Year’s game. Historically, Rangers and Celtic always played during the New Year holiday, but the derby hasn’t been scheduled that way for the past two SPL seasons. Good job to the league for restoring this game, one of the highlights of the year for many Glasgow fans.

Closest to my own heart, Caley Thistle will open their season against Rangers on August 4th (or 6th if Setanta has a say). Caley had two wins and a draw against Rangers last season, and hope to continue their unbeaten streak against them to start off the season. Interestingly, after relegating Dunfermline this season with a home victory over them, Caley may have a chance to do the same to SPL newcomers Gretna. We face Gretna the last week of the season.

With all of the transfer news, especially for the Old Firm, it is shaping up to be an interesting year. Rangers and Celtic both begin their Champions League campaigns in August as well, but we won’t know for another month or so the exact dates or who they’ll face.

In other news, there’s some talk of adding Scottish and Irish teams to the FAW Premier Cup in Wales. I’m always in favor of regional cups - they give international opportunities to more teams, which can only be good for the league. Apparently, the fourth and possibly fifth ranked teams in the SPL (this year, Hearts and Kilmarnock) would qualify. I’ll try to keep updated on whether this happens or not.