SPFL fixtures talking points: That Rangers fixture, Boxing Day blank, impact of TV selections

The fixture computer has determined how season 2022-23 will shape up in Scotland and typically, there is no shortage of takeaways from the structure of the calendar for next season.

Kicking off on July 30 – though Celtic’s title defence begins off a day later – the new season will be impacted by the World Cup in Qatar towards the end of the year with a five-week hiatus planned to accommodate the event which Scotland missed out on joining earlier this month.

There are new names in the mix after the promotion of Bonnyrigg Rose from the Lowland league while Cove Rangers, Queen’s Park and Kelty Hearts are each enjoying their highest league status in the present Scottish league ladder.

In the top-flight though there is much focus on the opening 33 games – with matches planned through to the end of April before the customary split between top six and bottom six in the SPFL Premiership.

It’s the tenth season since the league became rebranded as the SPFL and like the previous nine there are no shortage of talking points to come from the GotSoccer computer which has structured the season.

Always a red-letter day in the football calendar – there’s one derby day a lot earlier than the others and it falls in Edinburgh.

Hearts make the trip across the city to Easter Road on the weekend of August 6-7 – just the second weekend of the season.

That could be an early opportunity for Lee Johnson to set down a marker to his Hibs managerial career – or Robbie Neilson to exert further dominance on the fixture he hasn’t lost in on his second spell in charge at Tynecastle.

Rangers and Celtic’s first meeting is also critically listed on September 3 – that means last season’s top two meet AFTER the transfer window has closed on September 1 and