Hearts and Rangers meltdown was a joy to behold for Celtic support

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The Celtic Star

·8 avril 2026

Hearts and Rangers meltdown was a joy to behold for Celtic support

Celtic supporters were pleased with the SPFL’s post split news yesterday afternoon but the same could not be said for either the Hearts of the Rangers supporters who went into meltdown which for the Celtic support was a joy to behold…

Hearts fans at Dundee in May 1986. Photo The Celtic Wiki

Hearts fans are raging that they will finish their league campaign with an away campaign at Celtic Park on the day that the title is most likely to be decided. They complain about the small allocation that they’ll receive compared to what the Rangers fans are getting on their earlier visit to Celtic Park.

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‘The SPFL is a joke. Always has been. Always will be’ #Hearts #Rangers #Celtic
– mardi 7 avril 2026

You reap what you sow was the response from gloating Celtic supporters who pointed out that the decision taken by Hearts to cut and cut again the Celtic allocation for Tynecastle means that their own allocation for Celtic Park will be cut too.

Hearts and Hibs have a deal in place giving each away support a full stand for the Edinburgh Derby. Celtic and the Rangers now have reached a similar agreement effectively giving each away support the equivalent of the European away allocation for both Ibrox and Celtic Park, thus the Rangers will receive more tickets for Celtic Park than Hearts.

It was perfectly fine for Hearts when they were a bottom six side last season to care not a jot about Celtic supporters missing a game, indeed Celtic recently won the league at Tynecastle with just a few hundred supporters allowed in the ground while they had plenty of empty seats at their ground.

Karma can be something extra special on days like yesterday.

Scotland’s Shame – theRangers fans attacking the Celtic support at Ibrox after Celtic won the Scottish Cup quarter final on Sunday 8 March 2026. Photograph by Vagelis Georgariou

Meanwhile the Rangers supporters were moaning about not playing before Celtic in any of the remaining games, despite having had that advantage continually this season already. They are also moaning about a 5.30pm kick-off for their Bank Holiday weekend game at Tynecastle and some are even complaining about Celtic having more home games than them! It’s the schools.

The SPFL tried to address all possible complaints after releasing their post split fixtures which we reported on yesterday afternoon on The Celtic Star.

The SPFL’s chief operating officer, Calum Beattie, was the man in charge of curating the fixture list and has explained the decision-making process and why it was Celtic were the team given a home match on the final day with both Hearts and the Rangers having away fixtures.

Beattie’s detailed explanation came via a Q&A on the official SPFL website: “The fact that this season in the top-six we made the decision to have all matches kicking off at the same time on Wednesday May 13 to ensure that all clubs had the same recovery time between rounds 37 and 38. This means that Celtic/Rangers and Hearts/Hibernian couldn’t both be away on the final day as one would have to play their home match in Round 37 on Tuesday May 12.

“Feedback from stakeholders including clubs, Police Scotland and broadcast partners with a general consensus that we should not have a city derby on the final day of the season with a potential trophy presentation.

“Celtic have been given a home match on the final day of the season, partly because they have three home matches post-split and Hearts and Rangers only have two. In recent seasons we have been able to have the club at the top of the table entering into the split at home on the final day. However, that has not been possible on this occasion due to the number of competing constraints and the most exciting title race in years making each fixture round very unpredictable.

“We have a fantastic final day to look forward to with Celtic and Hearts facing off at Celtic Park, Rangers travelling to a Falkirk side that have been one of the success stories of the season and a potential battle for European spots at Easter Road.”

The man for the SPFL continued: “There are number of different factors in how they landed on the fixture list, including a need for Falkirk to finish the campaign on 20 home games and 18 away, but also to play Hearts away from home three times and at home just once.

“Clubs are scheduled to play 16 or 17 home games in the 33 fixture rounds before the split. We then try to ensure all clubs finish up having played 19 games at home and 19 away. However, this is not always possible to achieve—in fact, since the split was introduced in 2000/01, we have had a 20/18 scenario around 50 per cent of the time.

“This season, Falkirk will play 20 home games in the top-six and Livingston will play 18 home games in the bottom-six. All clubs will play a minimum of two, and a maximum of three, home fixtures after the split. We try to ensure clubs finish the season home/away or away/home over fixture rounds 37 and 38 and that is the case again this season.”

The SPFL also released a statement which provides further detail especially relating to the broadcasting of matches for the closing stages of this Scottish Premiership campaign.

The Celtic support at Ibrox after Celtic won the Scottish Cup quarter final on Sunday 8 March 2026. Photograph by Vagelis Georgariou

POST-SPLIT FIXTURES – SPFL ANNOUNCES 2025/26 WILLIAM HILL PREMIERSHIP POST-SPLIT FIXTURES

The Scottish Professional Football League has published the post-split fixture list for what promises to be an incredible climax to a thrilling William Hill Premiership title race.

Heart of Midlothian, Rangers, Celtic, Motherwell and Hibernian were already assured of a top-six place and John McGlynn’s Falkirk joined them at the weekend when they won 3-2 at Fir Park to secure a top-half finish on their first season back in the William Hill Premiership since 2009/10.

With six fixture rounds remaining, Derek McInnes’ Heart of Midlothian side are in pole position – one point clear of Danny Rohl’s Rangers and three points ahead of reigning champions Celtic – as they chase their first top-flight title since 1959/60.

The Celtic support at Ibrox after Celtic won the Scottish Cup quarter final on Sunday 8 March 2026. Photograph by Vagelis Georgariou

The opening post-split games take place on the weekend of April 25/26, with Sky Sports covering a huge Edinburgh derby between Hibernian and leaders Heart of Midlothian at Easter Road on Sunday April 26, kick-off 4.30pm, which follows their coverage of Celtic v Falkirk on Saturday April 25, kick-off 5.30pm.

There’s another big Sky Sports double header the following weekend. Hibernian are at home to Celtic on Sunday May 3, kick-off 12 noon, and then on the public holiday of Monday May 4, Hearts host Rangers at Tynecastle for another massive match, kick-off 5.30pm.

In fixture round 36, Sky Sports will show the meeting of Motherwell and Hearts at Fir Park on Saturday May 9, kick-off 8.00pm. Sunday May 10 brings the final meeting of the season between Celtic and Rangers, with a 12 noon kick-off at Celtic Park, live on Sky Sports.

The Celtic support at Ibrox after Celtic won the Scottish Cup quarter final on Sunday 8 March 2026. Photograph by Vagelis Georgariou

Broadcast selections for round 37 will be announced in due course but all three top-six fixtures that midweek – Heart of Midlothian v Falkirk, Motherwell v Celtic and Rangers v Hibernian – will be played on Wednesday May 13, kick-off 8.00pm. Bottom-six fixtures will take place the previous evening, Tuesday May 12, kick-off 7.45pm.

The top-six of an unforgettable campaign will conclude on Saturday May 16, when Celtic face Hearts at Celtic Park, Rangers go to the Falkirk Stadium and Hibernian play Motherwell at Easter Road. Broadcast selections will be confirmed nearer the time, but all three games will kick off at 12.30pm.

In the bottom-six, Premier Sports will show three post-split matches live, including the Dundee derby at Tannadice on Sunday April 26, kick-off 2.00pm. They will also cover Livingston v Aberdeen on Friday May 1, kick-off 7.45pm, and Livingston v Kilmarnock on the final day of the season – Sunday May 17, with a 2.00pm kick-off. These confirmed TV picks mean this season will feature a record number of William Hill Premiership matches shown live on TV in the SPFL era, with 72 games already chosen for broadcast across Sky Sports and Premier Sports and more to be announced.

The Celtic support at Ibrox after Celtic won the Scottish Cup quarter final on Sunday 8 March 2026. Photograph by Vagelis Georgariou

Calum Beattie, SPFL Chief Operating Officer, said: “Following the weekend’s results, we are delighted to publish the post-split fixtures and the majority of broadcast selections to allow clubs and supporters to make plans for what promises to be a fantastic few weeks of football with so much at stake across the William Hill Premiership.

“This has been a season like no other, with so many talking points and unrivalled drama. We would like to thank Sky Sports and Premier Sports for showcasing the very best of our game, with more live games than ever before and look forward to watching all the action unfold.”

Gary Hughes, Director of Football at Sky Sports, said: “This is crunch time in the Scottish Premiership title race. It’s been one of the great stories of the football season so far. With everyone set to play each other again, there promises to be plenty more drama to come. Sky Sports is excited to bring more post-split matches than ever before, providing unrivalled coverage and expert analysis of the run-in.”

James Forrest enjoying the Celtic celebrations at Ibrox after Celtic won the Scottish Cup quarter final on Sunday 8 March 2026. Photograph by Vagelis Georgariou

POST-SPLIT MATCHES CONFIRMED FOR LIVE BROADCAST: TOP-SIX

Saturday 25 April: Celtic v Falkirk (Sky Sports, 5.30pm) Sunday 26 April: Hibernian v Heart of Midlothian (Sky Sports, 4.30pm) Sunday 3 May: Hibernian v Celtic (Sky Sports, 12 noon) Monday 4 May: Heart of Midlothian v Rangers (Sky Sports, 5.30pm) Saturday 9 May: Motherwell v Heart of Midlothian (Sky Sports, 8.00pm) Sunday 10 May: Celtic v Rangers (Sky Sports, 12 noon)

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