Bar one year of moderate success, the split has brought with it a catalogue of embarassments: Teams in the bottom six finishing on more points at the season's end than teams in the top six, huge issues with fixture scheduling and the last one, my favourite, teams being forced to play a rival away from home THREE times in one season.
A scheme that was meant to prolong the excitement of the league beyond the Old Firm's title battle and create competition up and dwn the table has been, on the whole, farcical.
Given that this mornings papers are reporting that our Old Firm rivals will be victim to this particular snag this season, travelling to either Tynecastle or Fir Park for a very tricky third tie this season, you'd think I'd cut my nose of to spite my face and agree that this is unfair, especially because of the fact that Rangers have been victim to this paticular snag twice since the inception of the top-six.
But sporting rivalry aside, I am thoroughly delighted that Loophole FC face this particular prospect. Consider the leading role their CEO Peter Lawwell played last year in ensuring the season was not extended to accomodate the obscene fixture backlog we picked up towards the end of last season, which was largely caused by postponements outwith our control, opportunism from Celtic Football Club and our fantastic run to the UEFA Cup Final in Manchester.
Beyond the countless postponements caused by Motherwell's pitch, which both affected our games directly with them and blocked out dates for us to face them in a replay, Celtic Football Club, true to form, manipulated the passing of one of their former fringe players to avoid playing Rangers in January 2008. This was a convenient lie to avoid playing a Rangers side that was on fire without Aiden McGeady who was suspended and without the form of Artur Boruc, which was missing due to him recently having recovered from injury.
Celtic cited their inability to function as a club during this time but still found the time to hand a trial to American goalkeeper Brad Guzan and train as normal, even, if memory serves, playing a bounce game in the process. Dundee United, whose players were clearly traumatised for some time after Mr O'Donnell's passing, were not afforded the same luxury as Scotland's serial mourners.
The end result was Celtic eventually playing the fixture with Boruc on form, McGeady available and a couple of January signings in the form of Robson and Samaras into the bargain, and victory for them in both of the games we had to play at Parkhead in a short space of time.
Celtic's cry at the time, through Peter Lawwell, was that to extend the season beyond its originally scheduled conclusion, would "jeopardise the sporting integrity of the competition.". Failing to take into account that his club, and indeed Motherwell's pitch, were responsible for most of the fixture congestion in the first place.
So why am I listing all of this?
Well, you can absolutely bet your bottom dollar that Peter Lawwell will contest any SPL decision to send Celtic away from home 3 times after the split with all he's worth. In particular, should the third away trip be scheduled for Fir Park, the "Their pitch is pyoor mockit!" card will be dealt for the second time this season.
In such instances, our own club must abandon its usual inaction (which is normally disguised as "dignity") and ensure the SPL's decision is enforced to the full.
Peter would do well to remember that to try and alter or manipulate the natural course and rules as they were laid out at the start of this season and indeed, at the start of the SPL's restructuring, would, of course, "jeopardise the sporting integrity of the competition."
Unlike last season, he may not be saved by his biggest rivals fixture congestion or, indeed, the manipulating and liberty-taking during a tragedy.
It's coming home, Bhoys.