Hearts and Hibs deployed in SPFL split argument as league chief takes a stand amid thorny debate

Hearts and Hibs finishes to the past two seasons show how enticing the split format can be, according to an SPFL chief.

Last campaign, the Easter Road side missed out on the top six with a draw at Motherwell as Hearts looked destined for third. The roles reversed this season as the Jambos played out a stalemate in Lanarkshire over the weekend to seal their place in the bottom half, with Hibs occupying that third spot.

Reconstruction of the Premiership is back on the agenda and debate is split between 10, 12, 14 and 16 team formats. There will be discussions ahead on that matter but SPFL chief operating officer Calum Beattie says finishes like Hearts and Hibs have had show why the split works.

Hearts and Hibs used in split reasoning

He said: “In order to manage a division of 12 clubs, without having to accommodate 44 matches – which is too many given the increasingly-congested calendar – the split is required. It also provides significant additional interest as clubs bid to secure a top-six finish. For example, three years ago we had no fewer than seven clubs chasing three top-six places on fixture round 33.

“Two seasons ago, three clubs were battling for two places and last year Dundee edged out Motherwell and Hibernian after another dramatic Saturday afternoon. This year St Mirren secured a third successive top-half finish with a 3-2 home win over Ross County to edge out both Motherwell and Heart of Midlothian, who drew 0-0 at Fir Park. The final five fixture rounds then involve teams playing each other to chase a common objective, be that the league title, European qualification – Scotland again has five places in UEFA competitions for 2025/26 – or to retain top-flight status.

“There has been a lot of debate about league format recently, and no structure is perfect, but over the past 25 years the split has become a firmly established and exciting element of the William Hill Premiership and the weekend was another good example of that. As has been reported, the SPFL Competitions Working Group will be meeting later this month to consider the pros and cons of the current system and any deliverable alternatives.”

Hibs imbalance

There are some imbalances in the post split fixtures, including Hibs going to St Mirren for a third time. Beattie explained: “Clubs play 16 or 17 home games in the 33 fixture rounds before the split. We then try to ensure that all clubs finish up having played 19 games at home and 19 away. However, this is not always possible to achieve. For the first time since 2017/18 one club (St Mirren) will play 20 home games and one club (Motherwell) will play 18 at home. Motherwell were the last club to gain a home fixture, with Hearts the team that lost a home game in 2017/18.

“To a greater or lesser extent, fixture reversals have been required in every season since the split was introduced in season 2000/01, when the top flight was increased from 10 clubs to 12. There were five reversals last season but only two this year. In the top six, St Mirren will host Hibernian for a third time. In the bottom six, St Johnstone will be at home to Ross County for a third time.

“ In general, we aim to minimise the number of switches and do our best to avoid reversing fixtures that have a key impact on the league title, the race for Europe, and the battle to avoid relegation, but that is not always possible, particularly when clubs might be separated by only a few points. We try to avoid reversing the big city derbies and may also take into account how clubs have been impacted by the post-split fixtures in previous years.”