The SPL Split Is Here

Last updated : 12 April 2007 By Murray Westland

The SPL split is upon us once again for the seventh season. It all started back in season 2000/01, but the final five league matches have yet to decide major issues. Celtic will no doubt win the championship, but there are still European places to be decided and there is also the small matter of relegation.

With five games remaining Celtic still require three points to secure the league championship. They have stuttered and stumbled over the last few matches before finally getting an important three points against Motherwell on Saturday. I'm sure no one, not even the most diehard Rangers fan will expect them to go the last five games without getting the three points required (but they won't want that to happen the next time the two teams meet, on Saturday 5 May at Ibrox). Celtic could, of course, tie up the league at Kilmarnock on 22 April.

On to the European issue now and Rangers should secure second spot although they are only eight points ahead of Aberdeen. I think they will grind out enough in the remainder of the season under Walter Smith to take the second Champions League place and leave Aberdeen and Hearts to battle it out for a Uefa Cup spot.

Aberdeen are three points and three goals better off than Hearts so that should make the challenge for third place very interesting.

The main focus of interest will be at the bottom of the table where Dunfermline and St. Mirren seem to be battling it out to beat the drop. However, mathematically any of the bottom four, Inverness, Motherwell, St. Mirren or Dunfermline, could be relegated. Last season Inverness won all of their matches after the split without conceding a goal on the way. They have 36 points as have Motherwell while St. Mirren have 27 and Dunfermline only 23. If Dunfermline win their last five games they would be on 38 points. If that happened, the best St. Mirren could expect would be 12 points which would put them on 39. If Inverness and Motherwell were to lose four and draw against each other they would have 37 points each and one of them would go down. Of course that probably won't happen and the fight will, as we all expect, be between the current two bottom clubs.

A few weeks ago when Dunfermline drew with St. Mirren at East End Park the deficit was nine points in the Buddies favour. Now that has been reduced to four so it looks that on present form Dunfermline are making the inroads they require. If their consistency continues they have a good chance of beating the drop, all could be hinged around their game against the Buddies on Monday 30 April. Before that game, the Pars are at home to Dundee Utd while St Mirren are away to Falkirk. If Dunfermline were to win at home and St.Mirren lose at Falkirk, the SPL strugglers could be facing a '
cup final' at St Mirren Park at the end of the month. So a possible situation that will not do the nerves of the Pars and Buddies fans any good. But at least it could just be a very interesting climax to the season and not the normal dull end of season affair for the rest of us.

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