Radical thinking needed on league reconstruction

613

The great and the good (extensive poetic licence used) of the SPL and SFL will gather at Hampden tomorrow to shuffle the deckchairs of Scottish football.  For reasons which no one has, or will, explain, it will be suggested that three leagues, with 12, 12 and 18 teams, will be able to resolve the problems of our game.

There will be no consultation with fans, Uefa or neighbouring associations, and no claim will be made that this reorganisation will be able to resolve a single significant issue.

For all its limited appeal, the Scottish Football League is in rude health.  On the whole clubs live within their means and in places play important roles in their communities.  This is as good as it gets for the likes of Alloa, Montrose or Brechin City.  They could all benefit from a higher solidarity payment from above, but this would be the case no matter what level the trickle-down was set at. Their interests would be best served by ensuring that those sending payments down the pyramid are as fat as possible.

The clubs with most to gain from substantive change are those condemned to compete for second place in the SPL.  Dundee United, Aberdeen, Hibs and Hearts have been neutered in recent decades.  United and Aberdeen have gone from being the two most impressive clubs in Europe at developing young talent, to clubs who cannot hold onto players long enough to put a competitive team on the field.

Scottish clubs with ample support, stadium and coaching talent have been left behind by smaller clubs in England, from Wigan to Burnley, who benefit from operating in a more lucrative commercial environment.

Hearts are trying to sell shares to raise a few million to keep themselves afloat at the moment.  The club would be worth ten times as much if it was located 100 miles down the road, or structural change made it possible for it to benefit from a more valuable environment.  Shares in clubs like Aberdeen, Dundee United and Hibs would also be worth many multiples of their current value.

Stephen Thompson has spoken of the financial burden Dundee United place on his family, a regionalised league structure would turn this burden into a vastly more valuable legacy.  It beggars belief that Hearts, United, Aberdeen and the rest have not grasped this reality and started to make inroads.

It’s time for some radical thinking.

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613 Comments

  1. I always aspired to 3 Divisions of 14 with a top 6 bottom 8 split in the top Division.. Top teams would have 36 games & bottom teams 40. But the top teams would be more likely to have additional European/Cup games so the reduced games for the top teams would ease the pressure a bit.

  2. goldstar10

     

     

    22:07 on

     

    7 January, 2013

     

     

    The old saying- You can put lipstick on a pig but its still a pig.

     

     

    42 senior teams is way too many and our population is too small.

     

     

    In context, 10:1 ratio England to Scotland means-

     

     

    92 teams in England should mean 9 in Scotland

     

    A 50,000 crowd in England is equivalent to 5,000 up here.

     

     

    Plus 2 freakishly huge supports skews it beyond repair.

     

     

    Nothing we can about it, only chance is amalgamations of smaller clubs to form a single 12 team professional league.

     

    Otherwise we will suffer a slow lingering death.

     

    +++++

     

     

    Ridiculous.

  3. saltires en sevilla on

    Neil C

     

     

    Yes T deal was with the team that died – it expired with Rankers last breath

     

     

    T went to the new team with an offer that reflected their status

     

     

    It didn’t amount to much by all accounts…

  4. rangers are not my favourite team csc on

    corkcelt

     

    22:25 on

     

    7 January, 2013

     

    Ranmftcsc Can you not understand that a Tim wouldn’t create a moniker like that. Neither would he post like you do. If it looks like a Duck and quacks like a Duck, Its a Duck.

     

     

    wrong, wrong, wrong

     

    christ its bad enough being accused of being a rangers fan but now i am being accused of being a duck.

     

    classic case of poultry cyber bullying

     

    no more ducks csc

  5. Not content with spouting his guff on Ch4 News earlier on, Grant Shapps a.k.a. Michael Green (relation?!), that notorious conman and internet scammer, and oh…Tory Party chairman, is about to be given air-time on Newsnight to lie lie lie.

     

    I despair.

     

    Shoulda been a bank robber.

     

    More honourable.

  6. stevebhoy22:33 on 7 January, 2013

     

    >>>

     

    Just the work permit to sort out. Should go through easy. I say should, but anything’s possible in this crazy world.

     

    HH!

  7. Neil canamalar Lennon hunskelper extrordinaire on

    Saltires….,

     

    thats right, the club died and that led to the sponsorship becoming void, thats right innit they sponsored the club and not a holding company, please feel free to correct me if I never got the wording exactly right or you have a preference on how you would express it, honestly get in, I look forward to your preferred terms,

     

    they did die didnt they :oD)))

  8. Bhoys,

     

     

    Gotta go. If MWD posts, could somebody point him to my post saying WDH is safe and well…

     

     

    Ta.

     

     

    Hail Hail!

  9. Out of interest, are the riots in Belfast getting much news coverage in Scotland or being ignored? Saw some of it on Spanish TV and Rangers tops and jackets much in evidence. Here’s the thing – Do the English, who make up the the vast majority of the British population, really want anything to do with this? Are the media sympathetic to their “plight”? I imagine outside the West Coast of Scotland most would be happy to see the back of these cretins.

  10. deniabhoy

     

    22:46 on 7 January, 2013

     

    >>>>

     

    ch4 had more coverage than the rest, but Euronews actually eplained that it was getting a lot more heated bilaterally than we are being told by the UK msm.

     

    No surprise, there.

  11. Neil canamalar Lennon hunskelper extrordinaire on

    Saltires…,

     

    aye thats right :o)

     

    another way I can tell they’re dead, they never played in europe for being second last season, that was the club too wasnt it :o) I mean if it was just a holding company that went bus, the club would still have been playing in europe maybe eh :oD)))

     

    this is cheering me right up

     

    whats your favorite qualification of a dead club

  12. jude2005 is Neil Lennon \o/ on

    D B

     

     

    The jaffas in Airdrie had a demo outside the town hall last week and a guy sent pics to the local paper (Coatbridge & Airdrie Advertizer) of the protesters and also stated how disgusted he was that the butchers apron had been removed from Belfasts town hall..

  13. !!bada bing!!

     

     

    22:21 on 7 January, 2013

     

    RE Tennents,they are very keen to renew with us,and also with the huns at vastly reduced terms,so much so that Challs tried very publicly to embarass a Tennents rep in a busy hospitality suite last week.

     

     

    How dare chucky abuse a big red T rep. Plus cant believe they had a busy hospitality suite. If your info is the same as mine, it might be only the 1 busy suite( as in 3 piece).

  14. DeniaBhoy

     

     

    I rely on BBC radio for most news and this subject has had a lot of coverage. None of the reports that I have heard have included any comments from Sinn Fein or the SDLP, who are clearly right to keep out of it. The BBC don’t like this as they want “balance”.

     

     

    So, instead, we get the PSNI, Tories from London and people from the Alliance Party as a counter-balance to those chosen to speak in public for those who are disenchanted with the people already chosen (in the elections) to speak for them in public. These guys, to a man, have started by saying they condemn the rioting saying there is no justification for it and move on in the same sentence to justify it. Their justification is usually because the evil forces of democracy have been constantly chipping away at the Britishness they hold so dear and were promised they could keep, no matter what.

     

     

    All very poor, from a journalistic point of view. The BBC treats these people with kid gloves.

  15. Huckleberrytim on

    mncelt

     

     

    Can I suggest that you look at the East Lothian courses:

     

    North Berwick Championship – a fabulous course; stay at Marine Hotel (not cheap);

     

    North Berwick Glen – great wee course with stunning views over the town and the Bass Rock;

     

    Archerfield, Dirleton;

     

    Gullane No 1 – if you can get on!

     

    Gullane No 2 – a great test of golf at moderate prices;

     

    In the West – Turnberry Ailsa Course.

     

     

    Whatever you decide – enjoy!

  16. “The jaffas in Airdrie”?

     

    Are there no butcher’s rags in Airdrie? Are they feeling left out?

     

    Or are they simply pig ignorant thick sevco lardbuckets?

     

    Does Fat Sally have their names? Has Chunkles got free tickets for them?

     

    Have they been sectioned yet?

     

    p.s.

     

    No need to reply.

     

    : > )

  17. saltires en sevilla on

    Neil C

     

    I like all the definitions above – my preference – the one I use most often with zombies is the zero European licence for 3 years that might actually stretch to 4 depending on interpretation

     

     

    And

     

     

    They may not actually qualify for Euro competition for even longer…perhaps 5 or more years with no Euro income

     

     

    The bit I look forward to most will be Nimmo at end of month – suspect they will be stripped of all SPL titles

     

    And cups etc etc

  18. saltires en sevilla

     

     

    23:05 on

     

    7 January, 2013

     

     

    Neil C

     

    I like all the definitions above – my preference – the one I use most often with zombies is the zero European licence for 3 years that might actually stretch to 4 depending on interpretation

     

     

    And

     

     

    They may not actually qualify for Euro competition for even longer…perhaps 5 or more years with no Euro income

     

     

    The bit I look forward to most will be Nimmo at end of month – suspect they will be stripped of all SPL titles

     

    And cups etc etc

     

    +++++

     

     

    I suspect you are wrong.

     

     

    They will be stripped of nothing, as they have nothing to be stripped of.

     

     

    On the other hand, titles will be removed from thon deid club.

  19. jude2005 is Neil Lennon \o/ on

    miki67

     

     

    Airdrie is 467ft above sea level so oxygen aint getting up there. Jaffas = Oranger. o))

  20. Neil canamalar Lennon hunskelper extrordinaire on

    Saltires…,

     

    and those facts relate to the club and not some holding company innit :oD)))

     

     

    oh dear its all getting confusing again can anyone else help me clear this up with their own favorite reminders :o)

  21. The new huns will be back at the top table sooner than some might think.

     

     

    They will also be challenging for all the trophies as well, they still have the referees in their pockets.

     

     

    Until this changes, and we get a semblance of fairness and accountability, they will carry on as per, it’s scotland after all.

  22. Huckleberrytim – Thanks a lot

     

    Dirtymac – that would be something :)I will look out for that

     

    Battered Bunnet – Thank you

     

     

    I have had some great help on here today. What a site.

  23. saltires en sevilla on

    Dirty Mac

     

     

    The old co will be stripped of course – we know that

     

     

    The tubes that claim to have bought oldco history will suffer a double whammy

     

     

    It’s all good

  24. Celtic_First – Just as I thought it would be. I assume the councillors who made the decision are under unbearable pressure to bow to the mob’s wishes and issue an apology. What a mess.