The Backpass Rule

Read the latest Celtic news from The Backpass Rule. Follow @TheBackpassRule on Twitter.
The Backpass Rule · Apr 12, 2018

B.U.R.L.E.Y. Projects the SPFL Table for the Rest of the Season

My SPFL Model, B.U.R.L.E.Y. predicts how he sees the end of the Scottish season going...

The Backpass Rule · Apr 12, 2018
The Backpass Rule · Mar 22, 2018

Celtic Have Found a Midfield Maestro in Olivier Ntcham

Olivier Ntcham has become key to Celtic’s midfield in his first season in Glasgow...

The Backpass Rule · Mar 22, 2018
The Backpass Rule · Feb 23, 2018

Some Quick Numbers on Mikael Lustig

In the aftermath of yesterday’s 3-0 loss to Zenit St...

The Backpass Rule · Feb 23, 2018
The Backpass Rule · Dec 7, 2017

What’s Wrong with Stuart Armstrong?

Celtic fans opinions on Stuart Armstrong have seemed to turned negative this season, but does he deserve it?

The Backpass Rule · Dec 7, 2017
The Backpass Rule · Sep 26, 2017

A Statistical Preview of Celtic’s Champions League Opponent RSC Anderlecht

Looking at the stats behind Celtic’s Champions League opponent RSC Anderlecht...

The Backpass Rule · Sep 26, 2017
The Backpass Rule · Sep 26, 2017

A Statistical Preview of Celtic’s Champions League Opponent RSC Anderlecht

Looking at the stats behind Celtic’s Champions League opponent RSC Anderlecht...

The Backpass Rule · Sep 26, 2017
The Backpass Rule · Sep 21, 2017

Alfredo Morelos: Some Quick Praise from a Small Sample

Alfredo Morelos has been a huge improvement at striker for Rangers six matches in...

The Backpass Rule · Sep 21, 2017
The Backpass Rule · Aug 4, 2017

Using Data from Leagues Around Europe to Improve xG for the SPFL

Expected goals are having a moment right now. The stat most associated with advanced stats in football has recently gotten think-pieces from outlets like The Guardian, The Telegraph, Goal...

The Backpass Rule · Aug 4, 2017
The Backpass Rule · Aug 3, 2017

B.U.R.L.E.Y. Makes His SPFL Premiership Season Predictions

We have arrived upon the dawn of a new Scottish football season...

The Backpass Rule · Aug 3, 2017
The Backpass Rule · Jul 25, 2017

A Statistical Preview of Celtic’s Champions League Opponent Rosenborg

Check out the preview of Celtic from a Rosenborg perspective at our sister site, KroneBall...

The Backpass Rule · Jul 25, 2017
The Backpass Rule · Jul 4, 2017

Identifying Possible Break-Out Players By Making League-Wide Comparisons

As I am writing this, Barrie McKay is being sold to Nottingham Forrest and former boss Mark Warburton for a rumored £500,000...

The Backpass Rule · Jul 4, 2017
The Backpass Rule · May 10, 2017

Bringing the Age Curve to the SPFL

The parallels between analytics in football and where analytics in Baseball was years ago are uncanny...

The Backpass Rule · May 10, 2017
The Backpass Rule · Apr 30, 2017

What Type of Voodoo is Tommy Wright Working at St. Johnstone?

On Saturday St. Johnstone beat Aberdeen 2-0 despite being outshot 13-8 and the xG being in favor of Aberdeen 1...

The Backpass Rule · Apr 30, 2017
The Backpass Rule · Apr 12, 2017

The Biggest Underachievers in the SPFL: Tony Watt said what?!

Being petty is something I believe I have shown I have no problem doing...

The Backpass Rule · Apr 12, 2017
The Backpass Rule · Mar 23, 2017

Unleashing Kenny McLean: Aberdeen Push Up Midfielder to Move Up the Table

On December 17th, 2016 Aberdeen had just lost 2-1 to Ross County at Victoria Park...

The Backpass Rule · Mar 23, 2017
The Backpass Rule · Mar 9, 2017

Finding the Best Pass in the SPFL (Don’t Look at Rugby Park)

The image here is not one of those ink-blot pictures that psychiatrists show you...

The Backpass Rule · Mar 9, 2017
The Backpass Rule · Feb 16, 2017

Introducing Expected Assists to Scottish Football: Sinclair, Tavernier, and Cowie Stir their Team’s Drink

The idea of “expected assists” (or xA for short) has been in football for awhile now...

The Backpass Rule · Feb 16, 2017
The Backpass Rule · Jan 27, 2017

When Losing a Defender Hurts Your Attack: What Will Happen to Hearts Without Callum Paterson?

It would be fair to say that noted laptop enthusiast Ian Cathro has had a rocky start to his managing career...

The Backpass Rule · Jan 27, 2017
The Backpass Rule · Jan 14, 2017

Mailbag: Set Pieces, Transfers, xG, and Who in the SPFL Would Make the Best Bachelor?

Welcome to the first in a possible reoccurring series of posts where I take questions from you, the reader interested in some combination of Scottish football and stats in football...

The Backpass Rule · Jan 14, 2017
The Backpass Rule · Dec 21, 2016

B.U.R.L.E.Y. Tries to Sort Out a Close Relegation Fight in the SPFL Premiership

By now, many of you have realized B.U.R.L.E.Y. hates your team...

The Backpass Rule · Dec 21, 2016
The Backpass Rule · Dec 2, 2016

Introducing “B.U.R.L.E.Y.”, a Prediction Model for the SPFL and Handicapping the Race for 2nd

We are a few days removed from Hearts decisive 2-0 victory over Rangers...

The Backpass Rule · Dec 2, 2016
The Backpass Rule · Nov 8, 2016

Conversion Rates in the SPFL Championship: The Finishing Fairy Can’t Find Dunfermline on a Map

Gathering stats for the SPFL Championship for the first time this year has been very interesting...

The Backpass Rule · Nov 8, 2016
The Backpass Rule · Oct 28, 2016

Conversion Rates in the SPFL Premiership

The football analytics community most recent civil war with itself has been on the subject on finishing skill...

The Backpass Rule · Oct 28, 2016
The Backpass Rule · Sep 14, 2016

XG Leaders in the SPFL: What is it Going to Take to Get Liam Boyce and Jason Cummings a High Profile Move?

Hi Hibs and Ross County fans. Let us get this out of the way right now...

The Backpass Rule · Sep 14, 2016
The Backpass Rule · Aug 4, 2016

A Quick Delve into Keeper Stats in the SPFL Premiership

As the 2016-2017 SPFL Premiership Campaign is mere days away from getting underway, it seemed like an opportune time to discuss new stuff I am hoping to accomplish this year...

The Backpass Rule · Aug 4, 2016
The Backpass Rule · Jul 10, 2016

Using Expected Goals and Simulations to Guess How the SPFL’s Top Strikers Will Perform

As we move through the summer and closer to the beginning of a new SPFL Premiership season, it is time to look at what we think will happen in the 2016-2017 season...

The Backpass Rule · Jul 10, 2016
The Backpass Rule · Jun 2, 2016

Celtic Conversion Rate by Location

So, anything interesting happen in Scottish football since I have last posted?

The Backpass Rule · Jun 2, 2016
The Backpass Rule · Apr 29, 2016

What the PFA SPFL Premiership Team of the Year Got Wrong

The PFA released their SPFL Premiership team of the year today as following: Scott Bain Shay Logan...

The Backpass Rule · Apr 29, 2016
The Backpass Rule · Apr 11, 2016

The SPFL Premiership Split Graph Extravaganza

If you don’t closely follow the SPFL Premiership, you may wonder why games past this weekend were yet to be scheduled...

The Backpass Rule · Apr 11, 2016
The Backpass Rule · Mar 29, 2016

Tom Rogic: The Other Celtic Young Player of the Year Candidate

Chances are if you are reading this,you have likely clicked a link to this article through my twitter account, so you fully realize that I am a Celtic supporter...

The Backpass Rule · Mar 29, 2016
The Backpass Rule · Mar 20, 2016

Updated SPFL Form Graphs

Just who the heck is going to finish in those final two top 6 spots?!

The Backpass Rule · Mar 20, 2016
The Backpass Rule · Mar 14, 2016

SPFL Premiership xG form in the Last Ten Matches

Along with the usual updates to the Advanced Stats Team Table, Expected Goals Leaders, and Combined Goals and Assists per 90 minutes Leaders, I created some charts similar to the points earned chart for this season...

The Backpass Rule · Mar 14, 2016
The Backpass Rule · Mar 11, 2016

The Topsy Turvy SPFL Premiership Table

While I might have been diagnosed with a full case of “March Madness”, I haven’t forsaken the siren song of Scottish football...

The Backpass Rule · Mar 11, 2016
The Backpass Rule · Mar 1, 2016

Just How Important Are Leigh Griffiths and Adam Rooney to their Clubs?

Last week the top two teams in the SPFL Premiership, Celtic and Aberdeen, both dropped points...

The Backpass Rule · Mar 1, 2016
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Browse all podcasts Podcasts
ByTheMinute Celtic Podcast · Jan 15

ByTheMinCeltic Podcast #126

A special mid-season podcast. Remy McSwain and Lawrence Donegan joined by Paul Thomson to answer listeners’ questions.

ByTheMinute Celtic Podcast · Jan 15
90 Minute Cynic · Jan 15

The One With The Transfer Committee

Welcome to the 90 Minute Cynic Podcast (@90minutecynic) with host Chris Gallagher joined by a panel of Chris Boud, Louis McCaffrey and Christian Wulff. We chat about a lot of different things in this episode and touch on: ✍️Stephen McManus 🇫🇷 Ntcham 🐏 McKenna 🗒️Transfer Committee Experience The Transfer Committee Paperwork link is available via Twitter and on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter: @90MinuteCynic Facebook.com/90minutecynic...

90 Minute Cynic · Jan 15
Half Hour Hoops · Jan 15

HHH #55 Half Term Report Part 2

Peter and Stephen are back with a bumper episode. We go thru the players and ask who deserves pass marks or who needs to leave as we rebuild the squad.

Half Hour Hoops · Jan 15

View fixtures League table

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1 Celtic 20 13 3 4 46 14 32 42
2 “Rangers” 21 12 6 3 43 16 27 42
3 Kilmarnock 21 12 5 4 32 20 12 41
4 Aberdeen 21 12 3 6 34 24 10 39
5 Hearts 21 11 3 7 26 26 0 36
6 St Johnstone 20 10 4 6 25 24 1 34
7 Livingston 21 8 6 7 26 19 7 30
8 Hibernian 21 7 8 6 30 22 8 29
9 Motherwell 21 6 3 12 20 33 -13 21
10 Hamilton Academical 21 4 2 15 14 43 -29 14
11 St Mirren 21 3 3 15 15 39 -24 12
12 Dundee 21 2 4 15 15 46 -31 10

Last match

Celtic 3-0 Airdrie Celtic FC Celtic 3-0 Airdrie at Celtic Park in Glasgow in the Scottish Cup. 2019-01-19T17:15:00+00:00 2019-01-19T19:00:00+00:00
Celtic3-0Airdrieonians
Celtic
 
Airdrie

Scottish Cup
17:15 19 January 2019

Match reports & video: Celtic 3-0 Airdrie

Next match

Celtic v St Mirren Celtic FC Celtic v St Mirren at Celtic Park in Glasgow in the Scottish Premiership. 2019-01-23T19:45:00+00:00 2019-01-23T21:30:00+00:00
CelticvSt Mirren
Celtic
 
St Mirren

Scottish Premiership
19:45 23 January 2019

Celtic v St Mirren pre-match news