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.
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Bankie Bhoy. It was addressed to the former owner. I opened it. ‘honest mistake.’ Showed it to my mate, he went absolutely bonkers. When he was intoxicated and in the company of the new brothers’ he went over the top about Masons, this was in a CSC. Knowledge is power.
AULD BERTIE
When you have had involvement with them it honestly frightens the s… Out of you on how bad it is, for anyone who has never there’s a great movie called ..The Man Who Would Be King…get a chance watch it, it kinda gives you a just of what it’s about, oh, and it is a great movie.
Aff oot tae a good Dalmuir Tim boozer for a couple. Coupla bangers on the way and magic. In Paradise to watch the Bonny Bhoys under the floodlights.
COYBIG
HAIL HAIL
Glasgow City Council’s CCTV system has facial recognition capabilities. So we’re probably all being tracked on our way to and from the game already.
I’m aware they’ve stated that feature isn’t used but they have been testing it’s tracking capabilities, so it’s using some unique identifier.
TIMHORTON
thanks mate.
TD67
The Man who would be King….Rudyard Kipling.
Strange story, Great Movie.
Sinister side though.
HH
The Green Man on 19th January 2016 5:57 pm
Be good to meet you at CQN corner some day, do you go to paradise
LIONROARS67
Why would you want to meet me at CQN corner?
Ive been all over the world to see Celtic….How about you?
CLOGHER CELT on 19TH JANUARY 2016 5:43 PM
Thanks mate, glad your leaving for the game, and not because of me.
Masty
Thank you for your last constructive comment.
I know TD67 from here like you do and have lurked for about a year or so as the general feel in here was
of abuse and petty squabbling by a few.
So I will return to lurking and reading Pauls daily blog.
Ironically our squabbles have no bearing on Celiic but our charity works.
Hail Hail
Weeminger
Glasgow City Council’s CCTV is good. I,l admit that.
They even dish out fines for catching you in bus lanes where no busses run.
HH.
The Green Man on 19th January 2016 6:08 pm
So you dont currently attend Celtic park for games disappointing would have liked to have met you
Oohh I’m a bigger supporter than you. Behave.
LIONROARS67
Who says i dont attend Celtic Park…you assume too much.
Why would you want to meet me?
I dont get it.
You just said that the level of debate on CQN is worthy of FF.
I dont agree, in fact, thats BS.
So, why would you want to meet me?
The Green Man on 19th January 2016 6:18 pm
I see baiting and personal abuse is your game, no problem
We could have discussed this away from the blog, thats all
Have met lots of fine CQNs over the years, never met you
Tony D.
Welcome back.
During your short sabbatical,I felt some regret that I had not pointed something out to you which I felt that I should have.
I have had my very real concerns about the activities of the Celtic Trust from a time prior to your posting on here. Inevitably,Hamiltontim and I crossed swords on a number of occasions. We have shared a fair few full and frank exchanges.
In spite of this,on my recent visit to Scoland with my family,who was the guy who volunteered to arrange tickets for us all ?
Yep.You`ve got it. Hamiltontim went way out of his way to drop off tickets so that I was able to take my Aussie kids to follow our family tradition of around 100 years and follow Celtic to the game at Hamilton.
He and I still don`t see eye to eye about some matters, but I felt I should put this on record.
What we have in common far outweighs our differences.
Again.Welcome back.
Googybhoy
Don’t give up on the Blog!
Good will prevail.
I thought your question to another poster was reasonable so I don’t understand why anyone is getting upset.
After all most of us on here are grown adults!
Keep posting Buddy!
LIONROARS67
There is nothing to discuss.
You insulted the posters on the blog by likening CQN to FF.
I disagreed….and said that was nonsense.
So what.
I think if you take the time to see exactly the level of debate on FF.
You will see that your view of CQN is wrong.
By a long way.
The Green Man on 19th January 2016 6:25 pm
I’m usually at CQN corner most home games, be good to put a face to the name
Hunguffery – Def CON 5
LIONROARS67
There are more than a few bhoys on the blog, who will vouch for me.
Dont think i like your snotty tone.
Who the feck do you think you are…King Kong?
Ive heard it all before.
Another keyboard hardman.
Wouldnt waste my time.
Macjay
Well said
That’s what it’s all about.
Whatever anyone thinks of HT no one can doubt the effort he puts in to all things celtic especially his tireless work on behalf of those who have fallen foul of the stupid anti football fan act.
I wonder if he will sign my Ronny out petition?
The Green Man on 19th January 2016 6:35 pm
Back to baiting and personal abuse, the blog can decide who is the keyboard hardman
PS I concede you are more of an expert on FF than me
Must dash paradise to attend
Green man
Time to take your advice mo chara, scroll by.
MACJAY1 FOR NEIL LENNON on 19TH JANUARY 2016 6:23 PM
– See more at: http://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/no-sport-survives-by-creating-more-mismatches-games/comment-page-8/#comments
Thank you.
Delaneys
Sorry for the delay in response .. finished work at 4:30 – drove round to slim white Duke st and had my dinner at my Mrs.
Weathers fine – damp buy no rain and not too cold . Hopefully it stays like this
You heading to the corner
Green man
That should read
Time to take your own advice
Good luck to the Celts tonight, it’ll take a mighty effort from the entire team and I hope we’re ready for it.
It’s been a concern to me this season that, for one reason or another, half the team no matter the different faces are managing their minutes through games, as I watch them.
So tonight Celtic, maximum effort from kick-off and let’s blow the Accies away.
Masty
No worries.
Ive heard it all before.
Yawn.
HH
Green man
Feeling are obviously running high for some reason, your always advocating being the better man, just saying,
Surprisingly busy West Dunbartonshire to Paradise express choo choo tonight. Hopefully reflected in crowd.
Y
oung Clydebank Rebels love the Carlton Cole tune. :)
Macjay
Yer still wrong! :-)
Ps anytime J.
Masty
You are right mate.
Im keeping it in mind.
HH
THE GREEN MAN
Calm doon mate!
Oh and calling another poster an overgrown ape is defo personal abuse!
I met Lionrors67 at last years Hootenanny, a gentleman to be sure.
Now shake hands and move on.
Celtic team v Hamilton – ko 7:45
: Gordon; Lustig, Ambrose, Simunovic, Izaguirre; McGregor, Bitton; Mackay-Steven, Rogic, Armstrong; Griffiths
Subs: Bailly, Ciftci, Commons, Allan, Cole, Forrest, Tierney.
Actually it was 2014, no 2015 Hootenanny.
Wonder which exdun Utd will be left winger ?