Lack of 3pm kick-offs 'exception not rule' - SPFL

The Scottish Premiership's opening fixture weekend being spread over three days will be the "exception rather than the rule", says the league's operations chief Calum Beattie.

Only one of the six games will take place at 15:00 BST on Saturday 2 August - Kilmarnock v Livingston - with a match later that day, three the following day and one on the evening of 4 August.

Beattie, the SPFL's operations director, said two of the Sunday games are down to clubs playing in Europe.

"We are very aware at the SPFL of the traditional kick-off slot of three o'clock and really keen to protect that and protect the value of that for season ticket holders and all of that tradition," Beattie said.

"I would say we do that more than most European leagues.

"We try to get that balance right between selling the right number of games, which then brings in revenue for the league, but then doesn't dislocate too many games away from the three o'clock slot."

The opening game of the SPFL season, the Championship meeting of Arbroath and Ayr United, will take place on the evening of Friday 1 August, broadcast live on BBC Scotland and iPlayer.

Beattie hopes Saturday will also put the "spotlight on the Championship and Leagues 1 and 2".

"The opening weekend is quite unique for us because there's an opportunity for Scottish football to be showcased across the UK, across the world because we're one of the leagues to go first," he explained.

"We want to show the best of Scottish football across that weekend.

"One of the games that isn't on Saturday at three o'clock is Dundee against Hibs and that's all because of Hibs playing in Europe [on Thursday, 31 July], that their game had to be the Sunday.

"Similarly, the Dundee United game away to Falkirk had to be the Sunday, regardless of TV selections.

"The opening weekend with there only being one on Saturday at three o'clock will prove to be an exception rather than the rule."

One of last season's talking points in the Scottish game was fan misbehaviour, with objects being thrown, pitch invasions taking place, and pyrotechnics used at matches.

Celtic goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo had a bottle thrown at him in an Old Firm derby at Ibrox, while former Aberdeen defender Jack MacKenzie was struck by a chair after Aberdeen played Dundee United at Tannadice.

Beattie stressed he hopes to see "a reduction in these incidents" and cited examples of how the criminal justice system was intervening and said the league is committed to trying to address the issue.

However, he hinted that imposing points deductions on clubs for the misbehaviour of their supporters was unlikely.

"A points deduction is a possibility under any SPFL complaint that is taken against a club," he said.

"We don't like to run towards points deductions for obvious reasons.

"We want football to be played out on the pitch and for competition integrity, we want it determined on the pitch.

"Our position on that for many years has been we believe in individual responsibility. That does not mean that clubs cannot be sanctioned for issues with their supporters but they've got to do everything reasonable practicable to address it.

"We know how challenging it is for clubs. These are societal issues. We're not alone in having to address these issues. The clubs aren't alone. They are doing their utmost to address these issues but we're still having to deal with them.

"We don't think it's right to then leave the clubs themselves and say: 'If you don't deal with this, if you cannot address this issue, you're going to get a points deduction.' We don't think that's proportionate."