Smooth win fails to soothe Smith over Rangers’ post-split treatment

Smith will write to the Scottish Premier League to demand answers regarding the treatment of his club in the post-split fixtures, highlighting a number of imbalances which he claims show Rangers have suffered since the controversial split was introduced ten years ago. Rangers were furious when they learned they faced three consecutive away games in the final five fixtures of the season – including a third trip to Tannadice this term.

He says that Celtic have never faced the same opposition three times away from home in the same campaign, while Rangers have endured such a scenario on seven occasions.

“There is a hell of an imbalance when you see it,” said Smith after yesterday’s 2-0 win over Hearts, which means a win against Hibs at Easter Road next weekend – or Celtic dropping points against Dundee United – will secure Rangers the title.

“The fact that we have to go to Tannadice three times this season and having had to do that nearly every time means there’s been an imbalance in the split. You’ve got to ask why, if Celtic and ourselves are treated in the same manner, they have never had to do that at all and we’ve had to it – especially last year, when they were kicking up a fuss about being treated unfairly. It is patently obvious that it is Rangers who are being treated unfairly and not Celtic.

“The whole thing about the split is that it’s impossible to do. When the human element comes in, there has to be a question as to why Rangers have had to do it so many times and Celtic haven’t. Other clubs are having to do it so many times as well and yet Celtic haven’t and yet they are the ones who are doing the complaining.

“The thing that annoys me about the three successive away games this time is that in the season we had the Uefa Cup final we were told that nobody would be asked to play three games at home or away in a row at any given time. Now they have given us three when it suits them. I can’t understand that. Someone, somewhere is making the decision to do that, forgetting that they had told us the opposite.”

This time last year, Celtic lodged an official complaint with the SPL about Rangers’ post-split fixtures. Earlier yesterday, before his team’s comfortable victory at Ibrox, Smith had said: “Celtic complained bitterly last season and said they felt they weren’t being treated properly. But when you look at it in the context of the ten years we’ve had since the SPL split began, you can see they have been treated more fairly than any other team.

“From our point of view that’s really disappointing, particularly when you consider these post-split fixtures are not compiled by computer. These fixtures are made by someone making a conscious decision about where each team should go.”

He added: “What’s even more surprising is Celtic felt the need to complain about it last year.

Maybe we have been a wee bit slow to complain in the past.”

MATCH REPORT, PULL-OUT PAGES 2-3