"The 12-team division splits into two groups of six for the final five matches of the season, with each team playing every other team in their group once. This creates some nail-biting tension down the stretch, as the relegation rivals face each other, as do the title challengers. It also satisfies TV broadcasters, who now get four Old Firm league derbies to broadcast every year."
"The problem is that until this season, the split hasn't generated much in the way of title excitement because Celtic or Rangers (usually Celtic) have already disappeared over the horizon by then. This season, though, the format has come into its own, adding another layer to the most captivating Scottish title race in decades and potentially the best title race in European football."
"When, in his first TV interview as Hearts minority owner, Tony Bloom predicted his team could challenge for the Scottish title this season, the guffawing could be heard all over Scotland, not just from Glasgow. While the Brighton and Union Saint-Gilloise owner's ambition was refreshing, his comments seemed naive. Hearts hadn't even finished in the top half the season before."
"Hearts won eight of their opening nine league fixtures to go top, where they have remained all season. Not content with merely challenging Celtic and Rangers, as Bloom vowed, the team are just two games from bringing the title to Edinburgh, becoming the first non-Old Firm team to win the Scottish title since Sir Alex Ferguson's Aberdeen in 1985. It's been 66 years since Hearts last won the Scottish title."
The season’s final matches use a split into two groups of six, where each team plays every other team in its group once. Relegation rivals and title challengers face each other late, increasing tension and providing broadcasters with four Old Firm league derbies each year. The format previously produced limited title excitement because Celtic or Rangers often separated early. This season, Hearts’ rise has made the title race compelling. Tony Bloom, a Hearts minority owner, predicted Hearts could challenge for the Scottish title, despite skepticism. Hearts won eight of their first nine league games, went top, and stayed there. They are now two games from bringing the title to Edinburgh, the first non-Old Firm champion since 1985. Hearts’ history includes Tynecastle Park’s long-standing league soccer and the club’s name drawn from a Sir Walter Scott novel.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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