It’s kicking off in all directions today but keep an eye on the English Football Association proposals to introduce a series of changes to lower league football. One option on the table is for Premier and Championship sides’ “B teams” to compete in a new structure with League Two and Conference teams.
The FA are eyeing an opportunity to allow the best young English talent, often cosseted in the youth squads of top Premier League teams with little chance of first team action, to be exposed to competitive games. The proposal includes a geographical split of northern and southern teams.
While the FA Premier League is bust by any known measure, the Football League is in an even worse financial state. Average income in the lower leagues is remarkably high but the steep pyramid-model, which has clubs chasing huge increases in revenue in the Premier League, leads to excessive over-spend.
With these proposed changes on the table the Scottish FA could do worse than discuss their own game’s future with their English counterparts. Well run Scottish clubs are hamstrung by their better-funded neighbours cherry-picking their best players for a relative pittance. Scottish Premiership clubs regularly cannot compete financially for players in England’s fourth tier.
It’s surely time to federate the top Scottish league with the English league structure.
Information slipping out of Switzerland this morning that Manchester City and Paris St Germain are each facing a fine of circa £50m for breaching Financial Fair Play rules is encouraging – if Uefa are able to deliver on the deal.
When you consider financially punishing an entity which owns the oil wealth of a sovereign nation the figure needs to be a big one. £50m just about hits the mark.
Apparently the Great Sevco Shakedown began this morning when the club’s first every goal scorer, Andy Little, was released. The news is harsh on the player but the club needs to learn the lesson – income needs to match expenditure.
Imran Ahmed’s court hearing today against Rangers International comes exactly three years after liquidation expert, Craig Whyte, was triumphantly welcomed into Ibrox, an ominous anniversary, for some.
Issue 20 of CQN Magazine, CQLisboN is out and enjoying great reviews. Click here to read for FREE.
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South of Tunis I love this ABB live album. My favourite song is Come on into my Kitchen. I know, I know, Jonstone but probably best cover of all timesm
DBBIA
Semi-retirement, like some sort of medical equivalent of our very own Zheng Zhi. Good for you sir.
Hope you find the time to dig out your ole easel and create some stunning watercolours of some of D&G’s most lovely wind turbines.
Meant Robert Johnson of course.
Shout what you like about Eurovision voters getting it wrong but I’m just glad that somebody plucked – Dustin The Turkey
Mr Johnny Clash-with your inspiring endorsement the paint shall fly off my brush onto the canvas- a picture paints a 1000 words, ye ken.
999 of them are ‘gggrrrr’, or variations thereof.
Alec Salmond has sad that an independent Scotland would be a certainty to win Eurovision. And Euro16. And the next World Cup. And the next cricket World Cup. And host a future Olympics and World Cup at the same time in a sporting jamboree like the world has never seen before.
He also stated that anyone saying otherwise was just being negative and is simply trying to scare voters into voting no.
Kevjungle Spot on ,I wouldn’t give lenny any more money on new players coming in , look at the waste of players we have , all given the nod by lennon to play for celtic , he like johan needs to move on. and as you said the huns are here ,they will never disappear,and that’s the ====truth, phil mcgob just keeps saying things about them hoping they go away
Gordon
You forgot the key part of his pledge: That these ‘super events’ will all be powered by renewables, creating a global showpiece for Scottish energy engineering innovation.
KevJ
96 goals scored. Goal difference of +75. Nearest rival not even close.
Looks like we’re doing okay.
This is a great day for me. CQN is back to its witty best (apart from KevJungle & co doing the ole Cassandra bit). Long may it continue. Takes me back. Thanks lhads.
I cannot understand how Lennon has escaped criticism. If we had a decent manager we could have won the lot this year and just look at the money he has wasted! St. Martin and the immortal Jock himself always got it right and won every trophy going – domestically at least. I really am fed up – just because we have one of the most impressive stadiums in European football, when does that win a trophy? People might think I am a sad loser with only a computer for company but I have do have friends – honest and I do have a life – honest.
Scullybhoy,
Mocking the deranged….
Shame on you;)
Zbyszek,
Many Happy Returns on your birthday! I hope you have something good arranged to celebrate it!
I have not listened to much Allman Brothers Band, however I have heard Derek Trucks version of “I Wish I knew How It Feels To Be Free”.
As well as sharing a birthday, if I remember correctly, we are also the same age.
The past few days the blog has been much more like the way it was, with the notable absence of several people who would be able to start a fight in an empty house!
Long may it continue!
Interesting Corkcelt getting upset by his percieved racialism regarding the 200 missing school girls in Nigeria.
My comments when it came on the news “This happened a couple of weeks ago, imagine if they had been western girls?”
Of course if you listen to the BBC World Service you would have been aware of this a couple of weeks ago and you would know that this “deed” was far from the worst of the atrocities that happen in the region.
You would know however what these militias/armies are capable of and be deeply concerned.
Only the scale of the kidnapping has made this MSNews.
Hope the Americans can do better than the Nigerian authourities have managed to do thus far.
Many happy returns to ole Dharma/Zybszek.
Best ABB album of ocurse is ‘Live at Fillmore East’, which is available in all kinds of format.
I bought it on vinyl in Whitley Bay when I was on holiday with my mum and dad.
I don’t think you’re allowed to take children to Whitley Bay on holiday anymore..
JohnnyClash
09:41 on
7 May, 2014
DBBIA
Semi-retirement, like some sort of medical equivalent of our very own Zheng Zhi. Good for you sir.
……………………………………………..
Zheng Zhi scored last night for Guangzhou Evergrande……!!
scullybhoy
10:11 on
7 May, 2014
If we had won the lot this year and last year we would all be talking about Armageddon.
Think about it Hearts, Sevco 2 and possibly Hibs in the 1st and we are still not talking about it.
Sacrificing the tin cups forever while ensuring CL income is the sensible approach.
Anything else is just pain daft
HH
Corkcelt
Hours after the kidnapping the news was on BBC news channel.
A big happy BURPDAY to dharma bam \o/ stands up for neil Lennon, hope your day/year is all you and yours could ever wish for.
Gb
Morning Timland from a warm and sunny hun free mountain valley.
I see a few are blaming Lenny for bringing in strikers who don’t score goals.
If you are in the camp that Lenny signs the players we bring in, aye, massive failure, with a couple of positives in Hooper and LG.
If you are in the camp that believes he has only a little say in who comes in, no so much of a failure.
The midfielders who have been brought in, like VW Biton, Johansen, Ledley, Commons etc have done good, and Lenny should get praise if he was involved in bringing them in, but if he didn’t, well done JP for finding them.
I look at things logicly when deciding what camp I am in.
I note that Lenny has not been to Israel on a scouting mission, nor Belgium, Norway etc, every time he is abroad, the speculation is rife about who he scouting.
I also note that the likes of Balde, Lassad, Miku, Pukki, Murphy supposed Lenny signings get or got little game time……..I wonder why ????
But the same media that most traduce is to be believed when the agenda suits re Lenny and player signings, dearie me.
Football is changing, gone are the days of the manager being in control, the club are moving forward to a more continental setup, where the manager is a coach, where he is given players, I have no problem with that.
HH
timbhoy2
Well there’s a surprise.
Couldn’t wait could you ?
…ZZ, no he was booked instead!
A big happy BURPDAY to Zbyszek, hope your day/year is all you and yours could ever wish for.
Gb
I’d like to know the total attendance figures for Scottish football each season Sevco have been in the lower leagues. By my reckoning, crowds will at least be level to what they were when RFC 1972 played in the SPL, but I suspect they may be higher. Celtic’s average home gate this season is over 46k and Sevco around 40k (ok some don’t turn up but the ticket is bought anyway). These figures are slightly less than when Celtic last had competition from a ‘big club’.
So with all the wee clubs getting a spin-off windfall from Sevco and all the bigger provincial clubs like Dundee Utd and Aberdeen enjoying increased attendances and a feel good factor, where’s the Armageddon?
I would suggest that the only people who want thems back are a minority of our own support (anywhere between 10 and 40% I reckon) the MSM and TV.
Quite the opposite of Doomsday the clueless hacks tried to brainwash us into believing.
Tommy Gemmell and maybe one or two others will be on CQN next Friday. More details shortly…
TeT
I would be happy with that also if it wasn’t our ceo(not saying it is) who was picking the players,
but who is above NFL in the football side of CFC ?
Happy birthday ole Zby and Dharma
Feliz Cumpleanos to Dharma Bam, Zybszek and anyone else born today, and a belated wish to Paul67.
HH
Zbyszek & dharma bam
HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOPY BIRTHDAY
BT
He has the final say re finance, and Lenny will have some input, but imo, JP finds them, they sit down and if they fit into the remit, they are brought in.
I was told a couple of years ago that Lenny pushed hard to get Hooper in, and he got him, no way on gods earth has he scouted and sanctioned the current crop of strikers.
HH
And still some fall for the agitators old tricks
Divide & conquer
There has been too much unity on here recently :))) for some
Till later all
TeT
I wouldn’t mind if it was a guy who knew football, Park seems to scout the youths as far as I am aware,
maybe we rely on tips from agents etc…?
Marrakesh Express @ 10;31,
The season after Rangers died I did some quick analysis of attendances.
Broad stroke…
The overall SPL was down. This was mainly due to the second biggest Stadium from the previous seasons being used by a forth Tier Club.
Overall attendances were slightly down in line with the general decline that we had been seen.
The large Rangers away support had effects on some Clubs more than others.
At Kilmarnock overall attendance numbers were hit by the fact they have a relatively large Stadium and only Celtic and Rangers brought a crowd. So loosing out on Rangers two visits brought their overall attendance down.
At St Johnstone local derbies against both Dundee Clubs meant they were little effected.
From my perspective as Rangers took more money out of Football as a Club than they brought in the impact on attendance was negligible.
Hail Hail
Marrakesh @ 1031
I’m surprised you need to ask that.
Here’s a clue to what I think…..if the total crowds were down, we’d be hearing about it ad infinitum.
blantyre tim- or tips from our very own WGS.
Jerome 67 that’s true ,after the Ross County debacle ,that told me that lenny shouldn’t be the manager of Celtic, and I havnt changed my mind, his time is up, and im sure if the right appointment comes up ,he will be off.i will say that the current manager at Southamton will move on to Spurs , and that lenny will replace him at St Marys, as for Hooper if everything goes right for him on the park ,he is ok , but when we are chasing to win a match ,not interested ,and lets be honest who in there right mind would come back and play in the S P L .at the minute the football is dire ,boring you name it ,garbage.
DBBIA
the current Scotland manager our the bhoy who used to post on here? o)
Wszystkiego najlepszego Oul Zbyszek
I spotted your post about Henrik Ojaama. Shame he proved to be a dud with you but a player can look ok in the rather agricultural setting of a Stuart McCall Motherwell team and still not be good enough for Legia’s more technical style. Hope you and your family have a better year to come.
And Happy Birthday to Dharma Bam,
BT
I just get miffed when Lenny keeps getting the flak for the failures in the striking dept.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work out if he signed them, he would play them.
I honestly have no idea how it works practically, but some of the failures have been very costly to the club, and if they were all down to the manager, he would be punted for wasting the cash, so it begs the question, who is wasting the cash ???????
HH