Tonight I’m off to watch Celtic take on Hamilton Accies to extend their lead at the top of the table to six points. Here’s what’s going to happen: either we’ll win, and I’ll go home thinking about 5-in-a-row, or we’ll drop points at home to Accies, again, and there will be a joyless walk along London Road. There would be no compensation whatsoever in the latter, no matter how bravely Accies defend their 18 yard line. The former will provide limited joy, as despite previous results, I’ve already anticipated a positive outcome.
Hamilton Academical are a remarkably successful community football club. They are a fraction the size of Dunfermline, St Mirren or Hibs, who languish in the lower leagues, not to mention Dundee United, but no matter how admirable, they are not box office material.
The prospect of league reconstruction – creating a 14 or 16 team top flight, bringing in clubs unable to match Accies on the field, at the cost of games against top 12 teams, is enormously unattractive and unwelcome.
We abandoned an 18 team top flight in favour of a top 10 in 1975 because we are a tiny country who cannot support more than 10 competitive teams (or even that many). Football fans turned up in huge numbers for games against genuinely top clubs, but attendances against semi-professional clubs were as lousy as you would expect them to be.
My first objection against the last reconstruction was use of the word “Professional”. The SPFL includes professional, semi-professional and amateur clubs. The four division league was tarted up as something it’s not. We can, at best, support two leagues of genuinely professional clubs, with two leagues of semi-professional clubs below them.
A professional group of 20 clubs, separated into two divisions, should be created, with only marginal drops in commercial income distribution as you go down the gradient. Semi-professional clubs should acknowledge that status and organise their game accordingly. Set participation criteria, objectives, partnering and commercial plans to suit their needs. They should be free to formally partner with professional clubs, share resources, including expertise and youth development objectives.
There should not be automatic promotion and relegation between the professional and semi-professional leagues. At most, there should be a one up, one down, play-off. This would give teams who drop quickly, like St Mirren, a floor from which they can bounce off, instead of having to take unplanned or worse, un-budgeted, action mid-season to remain in tier two.
I love the prospect of a Scottish Cup game at East Kilbride, but that anticipation required the immediacy of the Cup. No sport survives by creating more mismatches games than it already has.
But this is Scottish football, so I suppose we should expect the worst from Hampden this afternoon.
348 Comments- Pages:
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hebcelt on 19th January 2016 5:14 pm
Not the spelling police Shirley, predictable text is a pain, mind you spelling not my strongest suit that I’ll give you :)
Tony, wee story about the Brotherhood. About 20 years ago, bought a house, or so I thought, my solicitor suggested that there were other interested parties in the house, just up the bid by £5 grand, and that’ll take care of any late entries. I didn’t. I changed solicitors offered 5 grand less and got the house. Solicitor was a Tim, seller also a Tim, and both Masons. When I was settled in the house, letter came through post, from Temple or somewhat, I opened it it was an invitation for new masons ceremony, amongst the names guys in 40’s and fifties. All Republician Tims, who were tradesman and left wingers, not now, when the Audis came they became less political. Devil’s work.
That Facial Recognition Technology.
Wait till it checks out the faces of the ugliest fans in the known world…Sevconia F.C.
The machine will blow up.
HH
WHAT IS THE STARS on 19TH JANUARY 2016 5:20 PM
I’d prob. Tell you to ram it right up your arse, but I’d buy you a beer :))
TD
Anything learned from your absence?
Or is it the same old TD67?
Just wondering ?
WITS
Bringing my WITS OOT petition over to Dublin at Easter. Want you to be first to sign. ;)
Googybhoy
Get a grip!
AULD BERTIE
Devil’s work indeed.
Ask Albert Pike.
HH
TD67
I dont know you Tony but was lurking on here yesterday and saw that you had been sent to the sin bin, now today I see you’ve been released. Hope you are aware of what will happen next – as sure as night follows day there will be posters coming on here just to bait you with the intention of having you sin died. Keep the heid Tony – and don’t take the bait.
I’m sure the creditors will be after a cut of Naismith’s transfer fee
MASTY on 19TH JANUARY 2016 5:26 PM
Googybhoy
Get a grip
– See more at: http://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/no-sport-survives-by-creating-more-mismatches-games/comment-page-6/#comment-2757173
Straight forward question that you could even ask of Mandela??
auld bertie
I was a member of a CSC where four of the committee of seven where masons, but Tims, they where fine, but I was never comfortable with it, there is another story with other masons I got involved with, very very strange and frightening, it’s to long to type, but boy when I tell people they go nawwwwwwww, but it’s all true, and my brother was there too, scare the life out of you.
DD
What id give to flan Dave King.
A severe flanning.
Satan’s Accountant….Take that,…and that…and so on:)
Banter:)
HH
Googybhoy
Don’t insult my inteligence, it was loaded looking for a bite,
Just leave it eh?
Auld Bertie
I see it in the bhoys who went from our scheme to Bearsden and Jordanhill. They are a male social club who give to charidee dontchaknow.
Floridabhoy…
I can assure you that I do NOT dress like this ….
https://www.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://t3.gstatic.com/images%3Fq%3Dtbn:ANd9GcRqi2xUO5XIoD5DvTT6Vc4NAL0S6mA_naUv3fCd3QH2aZUb102i&imgrefurl=http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q%3Dtbn:ANd9GcRqi2xUO5XIoD5DvTT6Vc4NAL0S6mA_naUv3fCd3QH2aZUb102i&h=450&w=300&tbnid=077iPz1pqYqkYM:&tbnh=186&tbnw=124&docid=3SC9XlOnvkeMnM&itg=1&usg=__pD2NpoOAO68IRtYH9XjDvB8LJx4=
Googgybhoy
Paul 67 also quoted ” baiting” in his post about acceptable standards the other day.
No big deal, but probably worth a mention.
Hail, Hail.
TD67
Spot on.
Ive encountered a few strange ones as well.
They are sinister to say the least.
And not what they pretend to be.
HH
ROCK TREE BHOY on 19TH JANUARY 2016 5:28 PM
TD67
I dont know you Tony but was lurking on here yesterday and saw that you had been sent to the sin bin, now today I see you’ve been released. Hope you are aware of what will happen next – as sure as night follows day there will be posters coming on here just to bait you with the intention of having you sin died. Keep the heid Tony – and don’t take the bait.
– See more at: http://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/no-sport-survives-by-creating-more-mismatches-games/comment-page-6/#comment-2757180
You mean like this silly post?
GOOGYBHOY on 19TH JANUARY 2016 5:25 PM
TD
Anything learned from your absence?
Or is it the same old TD67?
Just wondering ?
– See more at: http://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/no-sport-survives-by-creating-more-mismatches-games/comment-page-6/#comment-2757180
Naaaaa I’m better than that. There will be a few, as I have upset them being back, but they need to deal with that, me? I’v moved on, I’m not playing the daft games they play, bait all they like.
Nae chance of Fletcher gaun tae Sevco. They don’t do frees, only 6 figure transfers.
The only frees Sevco are associated wi are wee frees.
And the only Fletcher they’re likely to meet up with is Norman, Stanley Fletcher.:))
At last night’s meeting in Easterhouse about the OBaF Act, Paul Quigley referenced a quote from The Times from the 1960s.
It went something like this.
“Football is a slum game, played in slum conditions, watched by slum supporters!”
The behaviour at football now is better than it’s ever been. We all remember the battles between Celtic supporters from different gangs in the 70s and the casuals in the 80s and 90s.
Facial recognition?
To watch a football game!
Orwell wasn’t wrong.
Masty and Greenpinta
No intention to bait was making my decision wether to stay or go.
Your two replies accusing me of baiting, of which I have no history of in here have made my mind up.
It seems that respectful questions to TD67 are to be monitored by your good selves then it is no longer for me.
Thank you CQN for some great years.
Heading to meet Almore in Dublin for the game.
TD67, Good to see you back.
Enjoy the game all.
Clogher
HamiltonTim
Dread to think what’s in room 101.
Whatever next.
Crazy.
HH
kenny mcaskill
shocking
watch ere if not been posted
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NG2Z6BjLrl4&feature=youtu.be
googybhoy on 19th January 2016 5:43 pm
Wholeheartedly agree, this was once the best football blog
Now at times barely above FF in terms of posting content
like you thanks CQN
Twitter world saying Johansson out tonight.
Googybhoy
I am monitoring nothing and no one on here, Tony had been let back in here with no doubt certain conditions , I don’t know that for a fact, but it seems a reasonable guess,
Why are you contemplating leaving here because of a guy you don’t know from Adam being allowed back on?
Keep posting, you leaving sorts nothing, if you have a problem with anyone’s posts just scroll past after all it’s only a blog differing opinions make a blog,
Thank you CQN for some great years.
Hmmmmmm? Strange post, bit dramatic, but his choice I suppose. I Wish him all the best.
Auldie Bert…………….
So you’re saying that the wash -hand basins, sent ooot a letter….in the post…….. containing names………… of new recruits………………. to their secretive society?
Seriously?
Is the game on the telly?
Masty he’s gone……
http://youtu.be/ee925OTFBCA
Another Mason related story. As I work in the Oil &Gas sector, today it is more apposite. Scaffolder on rig, used to have good laugh with him. He has Irish sounding name, Irish Catholics were treated differently etc, in society, especially getting jobs on the rigs. He would rant. Anyway, he stopped popping in to the office to talk football, he knew I was a Tim, Jock Stein picture on wall behind my desk. (The Masons hated it. I used to call it Brother Jock.) The reason he stopped coming in, ‘he joined the Mason’s to protect his jobe, incase of pay-offs.’ Didn’t help him or the late rush to join in the last 18 months, everyone of them, finito . It’s a toxic organisation, evil runs through it. One lapsed Catholic joined, then never went back, he has embraced his Faith again. It is a club for crooks, weirdos and persons who have a low opinion of themselves.
Police, Lawyers, and Judges : how many cases fail or get abandoned due to missing evidence?
Anyway let’s talk about tonight’s game, I’v moved on, it’s about three points, I’d rather we talked about that, than have the daft drama lads.
LIONROARS67@5.47
What nonsense you have just posted….”Barely above FF in terms of posting content”
What a tone of superiority
Who made you boss?
How dare we not rise to your elevated level.
There is more intelligence and substance on this blog than you perceive….Oh wise one.
Geeza Break.
“And, after decades when little was written about the man (the Clyde boatman), along come two biographies within weeks of each other, the first by former journalist, david leggat, and the other by club archivist and historian, dave mason
*FFS aptly named
“Each volume takes the view that struth was an incomparable figure and, even allowing for the difficulties of measuring performance at this distance, his record is substantial, to say the least. He was manager of Rangers for 34 years, from 1920 to 1954, during which time he oversaw 18 Scottish championships, five of which were in succession, between 1927 and 1931. “
*and established along with primrose ure a sectarian policy that still damages the country.
“as a professional athlete before he became a football trainer and manager, he cheated to win a race because he needed the money”
*cheating then and cheating now, it’s ingrained in the effers.
td67 great to have you back.
AULD BERTIE
Crooks, weirdos etc.
Thomas Hamilton.
Shhhhh.
HH