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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244 Comments- Pages:
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Paul
Just a rare dip into the comments these days but had to say great article. If fans ARE given the opportunity to say their piece, please God it will be with composure and well prepared ideas. We have enough knee jerking and panic from the lot at the top without adding inflammatory nonsense to the bonfire. On the other hand, if we are constantly shaking and shouting, then this is the time to stand up and be heard. The notion of obligation knocks powerfully on the door of my brain.
” If we are the most important people in the game, let’s open this one out, before we resign ourselves to managing decline.”
Supporters throughout the country proved that joint concerted action can have impact. It worked to sort out what was a minor detail in the global Scottish football picture. Surely the need for an even greater reaction was never so imminent than today. The future of the sport we are all besotted by is more than at stake, it is under serious threat. Let us boot out the football politicians and their political manoeuvrings and let the people sing songs of practical progress.
H H
The Battered Bunnet 13.45
Aberdeen’s rise in the football pecking order coincided with the growth in the city’s population following the early Oil boom
Remember they also had a top manager who built a good team. And another decent one took over when Billy McNeill left…..
The Moon Bhoys
14:10 on
9 January, 2013
celtic heritage
“Can we please start by defining the problem we are trying to fix”
Pretty sure its declining attendances they are trying to fix, they have been in free fall for quite a few years now.
——————————
the problem they are trying to fix is THERE IS NO RANGERS in the top league.
do keep up at the back there.
-)
if clubs like hearts, hibs, aberdeen and dundee united were able to generate 4 million more every season via an independent scottish football channel, sign better players and tie down existing players they would, more than likely, be able to develop small squads of good quality, that would offer hope of a serious challenge for the titles, cups, european football etc… and would do more to get people through the gates than anything else.
scottish football may never get the level of income on offer in england or the other 5 big nations, but we can improve football for clubs and supporters with a willingness to be brave and tell sky to bold
The Moon Boys – you are probably right, they have been declining. But so has been our coefficient relative to the rest of Europe, so has the Scottish national team performance, so has competitiveness in our top league, so has our media income etc etc. Each of these may actually have a different root cause – so the current proposal may not be enough ( or worth anything at all) – I just cannot see what they trying to do and like you, I start speculating as to what I think the problem is.Thanks for the reply. HH
The Battered Bunnet
13:45 on 9 January, 2013
Well said indeed! That sounds like a logical solution……….but knowing the current “powers” that be……………… I doubt they have either the impartiality or basic common sense to successfully execute that strategy.
HH Gerry
Paul67
Wow, a word ye thought ye’d never ever see in a CQN headline.
Urine my heart.
MoneyLaunderers F.C. share scam….good, isn’t it?
Not long till press conference now!
Do you think Hugh Keevins will try and sneak in with the other hacks incognito with a daft wee moustache and glasses…..oh wait a minute…
I wonder if PL will take any questions on any other matters?
Afternoon bhoys and ghirls from a dreich jun free mountain.
There is many, many things wrong with scottish football, but imo, the biggest thing that is failing the game is the cheating and bias that is shown towards one team from the referees.
A semblance of a level playing field, will give supporters of clubs the hope that they have a chance of success.
Let the footballers play football.
SORT THE REFEREES, SORT THE PROBLEM.
Where can we watch the press conference?
Oops………jun should be hun….arghhhh
GerryBhoy-I just asked why Press Conferences are not live on the Club website? Maybe someone could ask Tony Hamilton.I’m sure sponsors and advertisers would like it too hh
We’ll probably be faced with the SSN twisted spin on it.
williebhoy
13:52 on
9 January, 2013
The two major problems in Scottish football today are the mal-administrators who are simply looking after themselves & the fact we have too many so called pro clubs.
…
At the lower levels, teams should be regionalised or find their true levels further down in the lower reaches. 42 clubs for the size of Scotland is nonsense, many Junior sides have better crowds & facilities.
…
+++++
Mmmm, how would you allow lower level teams to find their true levels?
If you open up a pyramid structure, and taking your own points into consideration, you go from 42 clubs to many, many more (there are indeed many Junior sides with better facilities and crowds).
Do you envisage such a pyramid structure, or more of a closed shop style of ‘finding their own level’?
Big Nan 13:47 on 9 January, 2013
…………………………………………………
A guilty verdict would be a good start Nan. If titles were not removed from the dead club due to a technicality in the restructure of scottish football, it would not make them any less guilty of cheating. Their shame at retaining the titles on record would be just as palpable as if those titles were removed from the records.
Then again, the huns have no shame, WTF am I talking about.
Thanks to all who wished me happy birthday on the previous blog. No go on Peter Lawwell, make my day:-)
Out of interest
STV asked for a live feed of the Presser , but were refused.
See there is such a thing as Bad Publicity.
yournotourofficialpressagencyCSC
Len B,
Thanks for posting the Rogic clip, looks like a big strong lad who can ride a tackle
HH
gsu
Happy birthday to Corkcelt, ACGoR and Chairbhoy, and any others too shy to seek some attention >)
HH
Playsfusbal4dguilders
STV have never shown us any favour in the past
gsu
The problem is sharing a single market with the EPL, all other problems fade into insignificance against this behemoth.
Paul67
Ya crazy internet bampot!
lol!
Hopefully we will have ditched Sevco and gone on our own.
It looks that way as their is no similar announcement at the Bigotdome.
Magniers anyone.
MadraRua
Totally agree, just back from a wee trip to Ireland which included two days in galway, had a great night in the spanish arch(the manager is a guy from skye) will be back in Galway next year for more than two days, also spent two days in Westport which was brilliant also
asonofdan
14:42 on 9 January, 2013
Paul67
Ya crazy internet bampot!
lol!
Jabba thinks he is semi – literate.
I must be gettin’ old; my prized purchase in the post-beanfeast sales is a toaster. And I love it.
Glossy, sleek four-slicer.
And then the years roll away when I see Danny McGrain sittin’ in the dug-out.
“A well respected man about town.”
So long as there is always Celtic F.C. and everything it stands for, all the rest is just background noise.
HH!
It’s Magners bhoys.
Chairbhoy
14:01 on 9 January, 2013
‘Contrast and compare that to our own Country where among many it seems to be a price worth paying – never.’
That perhaps though is a more honest approach. Brutal but honest.
You can’t have capitalism without periodic slumps and you can’t have periodic slumps without unemployment.
So if you want capitalism, and the majority do, part of the price people have to pay is episodes of high unemployment.
It’s just a pity that it’s always the same people who have to pay that price though.
Googybhoy.
Do you have incider information.hh
!!bada bing!!
14:47 on
9 January, 2013
It’s Magners bhoys.
The Board are so inconsiderate. They know I am off the drink for January for Cancer Research and they announce this.
Mmmmmm no no no.
Paul 67 –
You do jakey’s a disservice – they are generally smarter than that.
Unless of course you are referring to one jakey in particular – the one who also suffers from delusions of grandeur, acute paranoia and is permanently raging … and unemployed.
Any feeds or radio links boys for the press conference
sipsini
14:50 on 9 January, 2013
Googybhoy.
Do you have incider information.hh
Like it.
TET, I hope everything is going well with you and Mrs TET.
I’m planning another trip down your way in Feb, this time young ACGR will not be joining me. So, if your still up for that game of sclaff baw we can rearrange the match we missed over the festives.
HH Bruv.
I do like a wee (or make that a big) Magners. Would look good on the new strip…well, as good as that horrendous new strip with the 3 million hoops on it could look. No surprise that STV took the opportunity to call them “broken” hoops. Got to get their kicks while they can I suppose….
Paul
As you are about
Last night West csc was getting a wee bit of grief.
You veriified his location and all was well again
Now I wonder could you answer this((no laughing at the back)
Is Kojo really in Vegas.
Do you get a podium for being the first on a new page? ;-)