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Lennon in SPL fixture grumble

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  • Neil Lennon says there is extra pressure on team playing second

By RONNIE CULLY

Share blank.gif6 Dec 2011

NEIL LENNON has appealed for a fairer crack of the whip when it comes who plays first in the title race.

To date, on the weekends when both have been in action this season, Celtic have played after Rangers on 10 occasions while the Ibrox side have followed the Hoops’ kick-off only four times.

Lennon acknowledges that, by dint of competing in the Europa League – with most of these fixtures scheduled for Thursdays – Celtic’s following SPL game has to be put back a day.

Sky TV and ESPN also dictate who should play when, preferring to screen whichever half of the Old Firm is playing away from home on any given weekend.

But the Parkhead boss still believes more could and should be done to balance the situation because he reckons it puts more pressure on the side going second due to the gap between the title challengers often being artificially stretched.

That was the situation again last weekend when, after playing Atletico Madrid on Wednesday, Celtic played at Tannadice on Sunday, a day after Rangers had extended their lead at the top once again to seven points with a win over Dunfermline on Saturday afternoon.

Lennon said: “To me it is a bit unfair because I think only once or twice recently have we played before Rangers.

“I understand that the fact we are playing in the Europa League on Thursdays means we have had to play on Sundays sometimes.

“But it might give teams a slight advantage. You know, you go into the games like Sunday’s at Tannadice seven points behind when the gap could be just one point if we were playing before Rangers and won.

“So, ideally I would like a bit of a balance with that.”

The bad news for Lennon and his players is that this is not about to happen any time soon.

In fact, on the three weekends before the Old Firm meet at Parkhead on December 28, Rangers will kick off ahead of Celtic.

This Saturday, Ally McCoist’s side have a lunchtime start against Hibs at Easter Road, and could again be seven points clear before Celtic meet Hearts at 3pm.

The following weekend, Rangers are at home to Inverness at 3pm on the Saturday, while Celtic’s game away to St Johnstone has been moved to the following day because they play Udinese next midweek.

And, on Christmas Eve, both clubs have brought forward their fixtures, but Rangers still edge it.

Their game against St Mirren kicks off at 12.45, while Celtic take on Kilmarnock at 1.30.

  • The SPL have announced that the following games have been selected for live TV coverage on Sky Sports and ESPN.
Sat Feb 11 Dunfermline v Rangers ESPN, 12 noon
Sun Feb 19 Aberdeen v St Johnstone Sky 12.45pm; Hibernian v Celtic - Sky, 3pm
Sat Feb 25 St Mirren v Aberdeen ESPN, 12 noon
Sun Feb 26 Inverness CT v Rangers Sky 12.45pm
Sat Mar 3 Aberdeen v Celtic - ESPN 12 noon
Sun Mar 4 Dundee United v Inverness CT ESPN, 12 noon
:wanker::wanker: :wanker: :wanker: :wanker:
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It's happened the other way round plenty of times in the past 3 years. We have just got on with it. I reckon if it wasn't for the european games we would probably have played after Celtic more times than the other way round. Lennons getting his excuses in early anyway lol

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So he moans about it, then mentions why it has happened (Europa League) and then he still doesn't understand? Moron.

This.

You can't win with they moaning bastards,if they were made to play before us it would be a conspiracy to give Rangers an advantage as the manks were tired from been torn a new one in Europe.

Fool.

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There was a poster (or two ) on here that mentioned a good while ago about rasellik / sfa / sky connected some way or other , can't remember if it was reids son was at sky <cr> , anyway I'd bet on at least the games to be played on Christmas Eve both having the same K.O , only to appease liewell and lemmon and no doubt the kafflick church ffs

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