SPFL Fixture list - who received the 'hardest' opening fixtures?

And how does the "Super Computer" work?

THE ‘SUPERCOMPUTER’

The SPFL have - for 10 years now - worked with an American Sports Management company called “GotSport” to produce the annual fixture list. The same company is used around the world, including in Europe by the Swiss, Polish and Greek leagues, as well as by the Brazilian league and by CONMEBOL and CONCACAF.

There is the common misconception that the fixtures are all completely random, leaving some fans to air their cynicism that “the supercomputer magically won’t have the Old Firm playing each other on the opening weekend”.

That specific fixture hasn’t been the opening fixture since it happened twice in the 1970s simply because the fixture list is not completely random. There are lots of specific criteria and restrictions the SPFL will provide to GotSport, and these stipulations can change from season to season. GotSport use their optimisation software to come up with sets of fixtures that meet the restrictions supplied by the SPFL. GotSport will create a number of different versions of the fixture list before a final decision is made for each division.

An obvious such restriction is that city rivals like Celtic & Rangers, Hearts & Hibs or Dundee & Dundee United cannot be at home on the same day, so are ‘opposites’ to each other for fixture compiling. There are however numerous other stipulations, (including specific requests from the clubs and the Police) which will be discussed now before an analysis of all 42 teams opening fixtures, to determine who has the ‘most difficult’ start across all four divisions.