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Daily Record
Daily Record
Sport
Fraser Wilson

World Cup forces extended Premiership shutdown as SPFL announces key dates for 2022-23 season

SPFL chiefs have confirmed the Scottish Premiership will go into a five-week shutdown next winter during the World Cup in Qatar.

Top flight clubs will head for an extended break after the 16th round of fixtures on November 12/13 and not return to action until the weekend before Christmas.

The schedule means next season’s Premier Sports Cup Final will return to a later date with it being pushed back to February 26 and the semi-finals being held on January 14/15.

The Scottish Cup Final meanwhile is expected to be delayed until June 3.

It also means a hectic festive spell of fixtures, with top flights clubs playing five matches in 15 days between December 24 and January 7, including on Christmas Eve and Hogmanay with no January shutdown thereafter.

Scotland face a play-off semi final against Ukraine and then, should they progress, a final against Wales or Austria to seal their place at the first ever winter World Cup which begins on November 21.

But whether Steve Clarke is successful in guiding the nation to a second major finals or not the Premiership will stop a week before the tournament begins before returning a day before the World Cup Final is due to be held on Sunday, December 18.

It means the top flight season will end two weeks later - on May 27/28 - to accommodate the fixture backlog caused by the greatest show on earth.

All four SPFL divisions are, however, due to begin on the same weekend as the current campaign, on July 30/31.

Clubs outside the Premiership have opted to continue playing through the World Cup and will conclude their fixtures on the first weekend in May before the play-offs get under way.

(PA)

SEASON 2022/23 – KEY DATES

cinch Premiership 2022/23

Fixture round 1

Weekend of July 30/31, 2022

Fixture round 16

Weekend of November 12/13, 2022

Fixture round 17

Weekend of December 17/18, 2022

Fixture round 33

Weekend of April 22/23, 2023

Fixture round 38

Weekend of May 27/28, 2023

cinch Premiership play-off final

Thursday June 1 & Sunday June 4, 2023

cinch Championship

Fixture round 1

Weekend of July 30/31, 2022

Fixture round 36

Friday May 5, 2023

cinch League 1 & 2

Fixture round 1

Weekend of July 30/31, 2022

Fixture round 36

Saturday May 6, 2023

Premier Sports Cup 2022/23

Group stage

MD1: Weekend of July 9/10, 2022

MD2: Midweek of July 12/13, 2022

MD3: Weekend of July 16/17, 2022

MD4: Midweek of July 19/20, 2022

MD5: Weekend of July 23/24, 2022

Second round

Midweek of August 30/31, 2022

Quarter-finals

Midweek of October 18-20, 2022

Semi-finals

Weekend of January 14/15, 2023

Final

Sunday February 26, 2023

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