In the white-hot cauldron of Scottish football, where every decision feels loaded with history and suspicion, the latest post-split fixture announcement has ignited yet another firestorm.
Rangers legend and pundit Ally McCoist didn’t hold back when the SPFL revealed the final five games of the 2025/26 Scottish Premiership season.
He accused Celtic of “running Scottish football,” pointing to what he saw as a glaring imbalance favouring the Hoops.
But now, former Aberdeen chief executive Keith Wyness has hit back hard, branding McCoist’s claims “rubbish” and suggesting the Ibrox icon has lost a slice of credibility in the process.
This isn’t just another row in the Old Firm soap opera.
With the title race tighter than it’s been in years, Hearts sitting top on 67 points after 32 games, Rangers a single point behind on 66, and Celtic breathing down their necks on 64, the scheduling of these remaining matches could shape history.
Hearts are chasing their first title since 1960, Rangers are in blistering form, and Celtic boast a manager in Martin O’Neill with a proven track record of delivering silverware.
Into this powder keg stepped McCoist, and Wyness’s response has only turned up the heat.
McCoist’s Explosive Comments
Speaking on TalkSPORT alongside former Aston Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor, the Rangers hero reacted with classic passion to the fixture list.
“You couldn’t get a bet on them [Celtic] having a home fixture for their final game of the season,” he fumed. “They are running the thing up here, aren’t they? That’s why. They’re absolutely running it, mate. They’ve got four of their last six at home and we’ve got four of six away, you couldn’t make it up.”
He zeroed in on the final day clash, Celtic hosting Hearts at Parkhead while Rangers travel to Falkirk.
“Imagine one of them needs to win to stop us winning the league, do you think it’ll happen? You better believe it’ll happen!”
Keith Wyness Fires Back
Former Aberdeen CEO Keith Wyness was not impressed with McCoist’s remarks.
Speaking on Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, he said:
“We all like Ally McCoist to a degree, but I’m afraid this is rubbish.”
Wyness insisted there is no bias in the SPFL fixture structure and claimed the scheduling is driven purely by mathematical balancing systems.
“I looked at the mathematical formulas around the scheduling of these post-split games. And there is no bias whatsoever in this at all.”
He added that McCoist had allowed Old Firm emotion to cloud judgement.
“I’m afraid McCoist has lost a little bit of credibility in saying that.”
How the Post-Split System Works
The Scottish Premiership splits into top six and bottom six after 33 matches. Each team then plays five additional fixtures against sides in their half of the table.
The SPFL aims to balance home and away matches across the full season, while also considering policing, broadcasting schedules, and stadium logistics.
This means fixture fairness is a complex calculation rather than a simple rotation.
Rivalry, Pressure, and Perception
Rangers’ remaining fixtures include key clashes against Hearts, Celtic, Hibernian, and Falkirk. Celtic, meanwhile, face Hearts at home on the final day in a potentially decisive match.
The title race remains wide open, with Hearts, Rangers, and Celtic all separated by only a few points.
McCoist later clarified that his comments were partly tongue-in-cheek, aimed at winding up his co-host Alan Brazil, but the debate had already taken off.
Hearts fans have also questioned the fairness of the final-day scheduling, adding further fuel to the discussion.
Ultimately, the SPFL maintains that no bias exists, and that all decisions are made using structured planning and external constraints.
Conclusion
Whether viewed as conspiracy or coincidence, the debate highlights the deep tensions in Scottish football where perception often matters as much as reality.
With the title race still undecided, every match will be scrutinised, every decision questioned, and every outcome debated long after the final whistle.
Roll on the run-in.