Why finishing ninth is important

There are two reasons for this, one of which is straightforward and one of which is a bit more complicated. The simple one is that prize money is dished out based on where a team finishes in the league. Therefore ninth offers more than tenth, which offers more than 11th and so on. The extra income is thought to be around £80,000 - a handy sum to be added to the playing budget.

The other reason for grabbing ninth is to do with next season's League Cup. Scotland has six teams taking part in European competitions next season, meaning all six are given byes to the third round of the cup. As a result, the lowest two SPL teams in this season's table that aren't in Europe will be involved in the first round, which is held on August 1 - a fortnight before the SPL season starts.

For the purposes of this, St. Johnstone are classed as a first division team. Falkirk are in Europe, meaning the lowest SPL teams eligible for the first round are Inverness Caley Thistle and us. If we get ninth, our season would start at the proper time and we could have another few weeks off.

So there you have it. Beat Hamilton and not only do we guarantee survival, we get a cash boost and an extra fortnight's holiday. What more incentive could you ask for?