Radical change needed to UK football

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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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  1. We are under attack

     

     

    10 Crawford has a shot deflected wide. Celtic clear the corner.

     

    11 Telfer makes progress down the left and Crawford meets his cutback but Fasan makes a superb stop from close range.

  2. 16 McMullan earns a free-kick. The Bhoys take it quickly but McMullan’s cross is cleared to safety.

  3. !!Bada Bing!! on

    For Legal Bhoys-can the Judge make a decision on projected earnings ,or is it based on cash in the bank? Ta

  4. Chairbhoy

     

    15:42 on

     

    6 May, 2014

     

     

    As Philivis used to say….”thumbsup” :-)

  5. leftclicktic We are all Neil Lennon on

    Young Ghuns under the cosh just now but I was expecting that, we start a bit slower than them watching recent updates.

     

     

    I expect nae pray we come into it more as the game goes on KTF

  6. It looks like we have started to play

     

     

    18 McManus pulls the trigger from 25 yards but his low shot takes a deflection and is scooped up easily by the keeper.

  7. Brogan Rogan Trevino and Hogan supports Oscar Knox, MacKenzie Furniss and anyone else who fights Neuroblastoma on

    John Wayne’s entire on screen and indeed off screen persona was based on his copying the walk and talk of Enos Edward Canutt — otherwise known as Yakima Canutt.

     

     

    Now not a lot of people know that!

     

     

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakima_Canutt

     

     

    Canutt was a bit of a legend — the stuff he did for Ben Hur was amazing.

  8. Went up to see the Celtic Way today , absolutely stunning.

     

    Well done Celtic. Not happy about the stickers though.

  9. !!Bada Bing!! on

    Ahmed should punt his lawyers, if he can’t get money ringfenced during the current turmoil….

  10. Better from the Celtic youngsters

     

     

    21 Henderson wriggles clear on the byline and whips in an inviting cross but Kelly makes the catch. Still goal-less at Lennoxtown.

  11. bournesouprecipe on

    Gene Pitney sang The Man that Shot Liberty Valance when he was still only Twenty Four Hours from Tulsa.

  12. leftclicktic We are all Neil Lennon on

    moo‏@moo_ted·20m

     

    @TheTributeAct that is not a joke. He declared he knew him socially as well as professionally. True.

     

     View conversation Reply

     

    Retweet

     

     

    Favorite

     

     

     

    More

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    moo‏@moo_ted·24m

     

    Lord Armstrong declared at the start of the hearing that he is a personal friend of Donald Finlay.

  13. It is getting better

     

     

    26 Better spell from the young Hoops. F. Twardzik is close to getting a shot away from Herron’s cross but he’s crowded out.

  14. 29 Filip Twardzik receives a pass and shoots from 30 yards but his effort fizzes over.

  15. We seem to have gained control

     

     

    31 Wonderful through ball from Henderson and Johnstone fastens onto it but he’s forced wide and can’t get his shot away.

  16. kikinthenakas on

    Sitting outside a wee boozer in Spain waiting with baited breath and what to drink to celebrate Imrans outcome…..matter of time anyway….

     

     

    Kikinthenakas

  17. The BBC piece nods its head at the American set up.

     

     

    Wont be long till the leagues where money and sponsorship is more important, (EPL) move to get rid of the dead weight around their necks. The lower leagues.

     

     

    With more Americans getting involved in clubs, History only means something if it can shift tickets or jerseys!

     

     

    Each EPL club have massive sport centres / academy. Why wouldn’t they just want their academy teams to play each other on a saturday, and move all the EPL fixtures to a sunday.

     

     

    There can’t be many players now that slip through all the EPL / championship academy’s go to lower leagues and then get signed from nowhere.

  18. 36 Halkett turns Henderson’s low cross away at the expense of a corner, which is cleared by the visitors at the near post.

  19. leftclicktic We are all Neil Lennon on

    moo‏@moo_ted·2 mins

     

    Imran Ahmad has lost his case to ring fence money.

  20. Awe_Naw_No_Annoni_Oan_Anaw_Noo on

    setting free the bears supports Res. 12 & Oscar Knox

     

    15:38 on

     

    6 May, 2014

     

     

    Excellent post as always.

     

     

     

    No cally dough from me

     

     

    WIth the one exception I might be back at Hampden in the Ireland section but I wont be buying the ticket. I wont spend a penny in the ground

     

     

    HH

  21. 38 Wonderful interchange between Henderson and McMullan and the former’s cross is headed behind for a corner.

  22. Awe_Naw_No_Annoni_Oan_Anaw_Noo on

    Anyone who thnks that the fourth estate was going to let an Asian spiv undo their good work is living in cluod cukoo land.

     

     

    HH

  23. Attack from the undead

     

     

    42 Burrows glances a header wide for the visitors after an inviting cross from the right.

  24. The Battered Bunnet on

    Awe Naw

     

     

    I think there may be a Cluedo Cuckoo Land too. People who don’t believe Miss Scarlet is capable of such a heinous crime live there.

  25. HT CELTIC U20s 0-0 RANGERS U20s Goal-less at the break at Lennoxtown after a fiercely-fought first half. (MH)

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