Ally McCoist has reignited debate around the SPFL’s post-split fixture schedule, once again hinting at concerns involving Celtic—though this time in a slightly more measured tone.
With the Premiership title race incredibly tight—just three points separating Hearts, Rangers, and Celtic heading into the final five matches—the fixture list has come under intense scrutiny.
Even before the full schedule was confirmed, it was already clear that both Rangers and Hearts would have to make difficult trips to Celtic Park.
Those expectations were later confirmed, with Hearts set to make a rare final-day visit to Celtic Park—breaking from tradition. Rangers, meanwhile, face a challenging run-in with three away matches in their last five, including a closing fixture against Falkirk.
McCoist had previously suggested that Celtic wield significant influence in Scottish football and raised concerns about how the final day could unfold—particularly if rival teams had little left to play for or could impact Rangers’ title chances.
Speaking on the Wee Football Show, the former Rangers striker struck a more balanced tone, acknowledging the difficulty of compiling a fair fixture list.
“To be fair, it’s an incredibly tough job for the people putting the fixtures together,” he admitted. “Hearts, Celtic, Rangers—they’ll all find something to complain about. Ideally, everyone would have a perfectly even split of home and away games, but that’s not always possible.”
He pointed out inconsistencies across the leagues, noting that some teams have ended up with uneven home and away totals. Still, McCoist stressed that title contenders must focus on results rather than excuses.
“At the end of the day, if you want to win the league, you’ve got to go to places like Celtic Park and Tynecastle and get the job done,” he said. “You can argue about fixtures all you want, but it comes down to winning games.”
However, he remained wary about how the final round of fixtures might play out. Joined by former Celtic defender Charlie Mulgrew, the discussion turned to Falkirk’s situation—especially with a potential Scottish Cup final on the horizon.
Mulgrew suggested that if Falkirk reach the final, they might be tempted to rotate their squad ahead of facing Rangers, or at least have players reluctant to risk injury.
McCoist agreed that it’s a realistic concern. “If Falkirk make the final, you can understand why priorities might shift,” he said. “There wouldn’t be much riding on that last league game for them.”
He also highlighted another potential twist involving Celtic and Hearts meeting on the final day, noting that if either side only needed a draw or win to deny Rangers the title, it could add another layer of intrigue.
“It’s shaping up to be very interesting,” McCoist concluded—a sentiment Mulgrew echoed.
