I have a recurring complaint whenever a politician talks about the economy. We have millions unemployed with no shortage of policies, from back-to-work schemes to aggressive incentive-isation of the unemployed, offered as a solution.
Back-to-work schemes are all right, as far as they go, especially for people who need retrained, but they do not address the clear and glaring problem – millions are unemployed because there are not enough jobs available due to a collapse in demand across major economies. Get demand back on trend and jobs will follow. Whether your back-to-work schemes are effective or not, unemployment will drop and the latest Phantom Menace, the budget deficit, will revert to the surplus it was a few years ago. Our political thinking appears to be limited to dealing with the consequences of the economic crisis, not its causes.
The same is glaringly true of Scottish football’s latest suggestions to reorganise the league structure. We have many problems:
At least 40 of the 42 clubs have no chance of ever becoming Scottish champions
Large SPL clubs (like Aberdeen) cannot convince teenagers to sign new contracts reducing the rewards and incentive to develop talent
Wealthier, more competitive, English football dominates our TV screens and culture
Financially, most clubs are either surviving hand-to-mouth or depending on scarce benefactors
A new 12-12-18 league structure will not change how many teams will be able to become Scottish champions. It will not make it easier to Aberdeen to retain teenage talent, it will not halt the process of English football increasingly dominating our cultural and it will not bring an extra £1 into the game.
So why, when there is an appetite to actually do something, are we wasting the opportunity by putting a structure in place which will only serve to re-enforce the current decline?
I expect this arrangement will give lower league clubs a modest increase in the money handed down from selling tickets and TV subscriptions to SPL games. Modest, but not environment changing. The question Scottish football should be addressing is, if they are going to survive on solidarity payments trickling down from clubs at the top, how do you fatten those clubs sufficiently to make the trickle-down as large as possible?
The Aberdeens of our game need to have a reward and incentive to continue developing youth talent. The likes of Inverness and St Johnstone, who run excellent clubs, need to be able to see-off badly-run English clubs chipping away at their foundations. Community clubs, like Alloa and Albion Rovers, could be transformed by a secure stream of income that pays for a modern sports infrastructure.
Yesterday the Scottish Football League chief executive, David Longmuir, promised that fans would be consulted before decisions were taken. If we are the most important people in the game, let’s open this one out, before we resign ourselves to managing decline.
Every now and then we read a comment on Celtic Quick News urging the club to publicly get stuck into someone or other, let them have it, show the fans how much they care. Somehow I think anyone coming away with this nonsense in future will be referred back to an article from yesterday.
You don’t achieve anything by playing to the galleries. You don’t build influence and you don’t win support for your position, all that happens is people laugh at you. It is too easy to sound like an old jakey, ranting aimlessly while squelching along in lace-less, urine-soiled, shoes. “”Dear God”, squelch”.
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And they gave us James McGrory and Paul McStay,
They gave us Johnstone, Tully, Murdoch, Auld and Hay,
And most of the football greats,
Have passed through Parkhead’s gates,
All to play football the Glasgow Celtic way.
hail hail!
Top 3 Paul67 how do I get rid of John Mcglynn?
Pee?
Mort, I heard its going to be a joint Sponsorship deal with Celtic & Partick Thistle
From previous post…
thehoopedduke
12:18 on 9 January, 2013
Anyone with a green logo would not feel the effect of a sevco boycott so…
Paddy power
Asda
Subway
Waitrose
Lloyds (tee hee)
I hope though that we are in a new league in terms of global profile, largely due to the increased focus coming from our European exploits…
Gasprom have increased their profile in the west of Europe lately, I like the sound of emerites too…
These companies would care little about the ahem 500 million sevco fans worldwide not buying their products
Would add Green Flag to that list.
Keep it flying high! ;o)
HH
/Bishop B
Ah, I get the pee reference now :-)
corkcelt
Could be. If they get promoted Sky will have their Glasgow derby back and we’ll all be happy!!!
Mort
Celtic are playing a PR blinder, sofly softly & carry on.
A re- arRANGEd league set up, for the benefit of one team in Scotland.
The football administrators in Scottish football are incompetent at best and at worst colluding to ensure a swift journey for a newco rankers, it’ll destroy Scottish football.
I hope CFC realise what they will lose when they gain Sevco, I’ll be one of the first lost season ticket holders.
Lets leave Scottish football Celtic, I’m sick of their cheating in favour of rangers.
V
corkcelt
12:26 on 9 January, 2013
makes sense, Glasgow’s big 2
Doctor whatfor
did you get my email message yesterday?
V
E-Tims claiming that Magners will be our new spomsor for next season, parent company also owns Tennents apparently.
RobinBhoy
hebcelt,
Click on the Comments Number very quickly!
Mort
12:29 on
9 January, 2013
**************
I’ve already watched my last ever rangers/ sevco/ zombies game.
Never again be cheated by these scum CSC
(thumbs up)
V
Paul – favourite quote of the year so far. Just brilliant. Jabba the Jakey.
“It is too easy to sound like an old jakey, ranting aimlessly while squelching along in lace-less, urine-soiled, shoes.”
hebcelt,
Of course if you are Vladamir Romanov posting under a pseudonym then it would be an entirely different answer!
Vmhan
I was referring to Glasgow’s second side, Partick Thistle.
Mort
hebcelt, do you need to?
DeniaBhoy, it’s all I could think about when I read the comment.
Sounds like Leggo.
Vmhan
12:30 on
9 January, 2013
Me and young Palacio will be in the same boat as well, another two SBs gone.
HH
hebcelt
received a text from Estadio, trying to make contact with you last night..
can you get in touch with him please…
could P67 be the left winger we are chasing? o))
Just noticed I got a podium, how the hell did that happen?
Has anybody told Philvisreturns (thumbs right up – insert smiley here!)
ps its another Tennants sponsorship, move on nothing to see here.
V
Paul67,
I seem to recall you posting a few years ago that you reckoned the EPL was heading for a bust. Just wondering if you believe this is still the case?
Sex and religion – a great mix. The Church of England is confused once more.
C of E Adopts An Unusual Position On Gay Bishops
Paul 67
Why don’t all the clubs in the Scottish Leagues, offer to – propose Scottish football as the 1st football league to do away with drawn games ? In a guinea pig sort of way ?
No drawn games – straight to a penalty shoot-out.
Also….take a leaf from German footballs initiative and re-introduce standing area’s which would obviously lead to reduction in admission prices – £10 to stand – £15 to sit.
Bring back the Jungle – CSC
Hail Hail
Can anyone tell me if the champions league tickets for the Juve game get sent automatically if you are on the Home ticket scheme i.e League cup, scottish cup and the 3 match Champions league package.
Getting worried will all the fans currently up getting them at the moment.
Thanks in advance
Hail Hail
There are too many clubs in Scotland, too many mouths to feed from an ever dwindling pot, any solution that doesnt deal with the most fundamental problem of all, is pointless
Glass Two Thirds Full Damn rumbled already!!!! Hailski Hailski Hebcelt
Why does anyone think a 12-12-18 league set up with promotion on merit, that is the Huns in the 18 team 3rd division next year as stated today in the press release (if it comes to pass) is fast tracking Sevco?
RobinBhoy
Paul67
Good article, my feeling on the economic situation is that the reactionary nature of the political class to the crisis tell of the underlying desire to separate the rich and poor. The rich cause the problem, the poorest pay the price.
Is it the same of the new league structure, I don’t see how it truly benefits anyone.
Radical change is needed, this feels like a rushed reactionary plan that is to the benefit of the few (like the economic situation, the few that set the disaster in motion in the first place)
I’d like Palmolive to sponsor us for two reasons:
Green logo
Affects of any boycott by sevco fans will be negligible.
Hebcelt,
Houlyerwheesht is trying to contact you. I think he’ll be in Sharkeys after the Hearts game, but he was asking me for your email or tel num.
You can drop either to me at msincent@yahoo.co.uk.
Hail Hail
Estadio
Palacio67
If on home ticket scheme, as I am, they will be posted out to you when available.
RobinBhoy
palacio67
I ordered my tickets online before Christmas, they haven’t arrived yet so I phoned the ticket office ttoday and was told it may be next week before they arrive.
I’d give them a call, just in case.
Vmhan
Do you want Celtic to cease to exist?
They can’t just leave Scottish football .
The have to have another commercially viable league to go to.
Until that happens, we HAVE to stay in Scotland.
No other option , unless we want to bring about the extinction of GCFC 1888
GlassTwoThirdsFull, a few years downt he line and the EPL still does not have a viable model and is still haemorrhaging cash.
KevJungle, no drawn games would incentivise weaker teams to play for a draw and steal the points on the decider.
thehoopedduke, not convinced on the class war argument, I think it’s just bad planning.
KevJungle – MURDO’s 30 yds Title Winning Boots 1979
12:41 on
9 January, 2013
Paul 67
Why don’t all the clubs in the Scottish Leagues, offer to – propose Scottish football as the 1st football league to do away with drawn games ? In a guinea pig sort of way ?
No drawn games – straight to a penalty shoot-out.
Also….take a leaf from German footballs initiative and re-introduce standing area’s which would obviously lead to reduction in admission prices – £10 to stand – £15 to sit.
Bring back the Jungle – CSC
Hail Hail
___________
Would you not have weaker teams just playing for the penalty shootouts therfore more defensive football