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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Montenlanco..
What are the GB’s official Membership Numbers.. 30-40..
Not trying to be Funny..
Summa
A player with a name like Rami is a god send for the MSM. They will be working on their headlines now.
Welcome to Paradise big man!
LB
Paul67,
heard today on the radio, that some of the top Belgian teams are proposing a joint league with the more lucrative Dutch league.
Apparently they have support from some Dutch teams, but others are very much against it as they see a more difficult challenge for the few CL places. I would assume from the likes of Anderlecht, Brugges, possibly Genk etc.
I can understand that. Unless of course the number of places available in total would be the same as the current position?
On a similar note I remember reading an interview with Peter Kenyon (at that time in his Man Utd role) when asked about the idea of Celtic and rangers (now deceased) playing in the EPL.
He said that obviously as a fan of football he thought it would be a great idea, but as a Man Utd official, he would have to vote against it, as many others would do, as he knew that after a certain period, both would undoubtedly be challlenging Man Utd and the other top clubs, not just for the CL places but for the Title, and why would any of those clubs vote for that increased competition…..not to mention the lower postioned clubs who would then be fighting relegation even more than would otherwise be the case.
Turkeys. Vote. Christmas etc.
I would imagine that this issue, along with others, would have to be addressed early on before any agreement to a regional league(s) would even be considered.
HAIL! HAIL!
Token
ernie lynch .
My mate isn’t into folk devils and moral panics stuff . He said he hadn’t seen so much overt public drug consumption since he last went to Glastonbury.
He compared it with a memory of witnessing a rammy at an early 1980s Burnley game which had been caused by punters objecting to someone smoking a joint.
about double that I reckon, ball park anyway
I got pulled up at a match for smokin’ an electric fag. I told the steward it wasn’t a ciggy, but that it was a crack pipe.
He said, ” Oh…that’s okay then. “
Auldheid
Thanks for the reply on the last thread,an auldheid’s common sense as usual ;).
Innovation –
seperate areas for season book holders, with specific facilities to meeet their needs.
An “auldheids ” over 65 section, no standing allowed, lower teir seats, with extra giant tv screens every few feet, and the volume set at top level .
dont know if these seats would face the pitch though,
I know I’m in a minority here but I wouldn’t write off the new proposed League Structures at all. Obviously if they tried to parachute Sevco into SPL2 it would be a no go but providing they stay in the bottom tier, I’m willing to give it a try. I think playing the top 8 Home & Away as distinct from present system where sometimes you have to play one team 3 times away etc is an improvement. There will be more to play for by the teams in mid/lower table and for the top 7 or 8 in SPL2 as they try to make the top 4. They should hand out a trophy for the team winning the new interim Division, why not? If it makes a couple of thousand fans happy for an afternoon, then what harm is there in that. notthesolutiontoallproblemsbutworthatrycsc.
Saint Stivs – Would the extra giant screens be showing Countdown and Countryfile? (thumbsup)
.
Typo..
MonteBlanco..
Thanks to Glasses I do My Pet hate often..
Sammu fo Simma
The Electric Fag – were’nt they a blues band in the 60’s?
I’ve got it!
…seriously….
What this new look league structure needs is a Drugs Czar, A King of Coke, Queen of the Quaaludes, a Pontiff of Pot…..( well maybe not the last one)……
…Step forward Smudger! He must ve ‘inhaled’ at some point given his hallucinogenic outbursts………
;)
Give-the-Joab-to-The Zoomer CSC
PeterScarff – I thought it was a homophobic reference to C-3PO’s lifestyle choices. (thumbsup)
@ ScottBrown8
Can’t believe my friend @odea_darren has been back in Scotland for weeks and not even came up to see the lads at Lennoxtown. :(
Tongue in cheek me thinks…
A67
corkcelt (and others) re league reconstruction
Like most suggestions, it has its merits but also has problems.
If I remember correctly, the split is to happen after 22 games. Currently in the SPL 5 teams have played 22 games, 6 have played 21 and Ross County have only played 20.
Current top 8 are:
1 Celtic (Played 21 – 43 points)
2 Inverness CT (Played 21- 34 points)
3 Motherwell (Played 22 – 34 points)
4 Hibernian (Played 22 – 32 points)
5 Aberdeen (Played 22 – 31 points)
6 St Johnstone (Played 22 – 30 points)
7 Kilmarnock (Played 21 – 28 points)
8 Dundee Utd (Played 21- 26 points)
8 points separate 2nd from 8th and European places may be available for the 4th place team.
In 9th place are Hearts also on 26 points from 21 games. St Mirren in 10th have played all their 22 games and have 25 points. Ross County in 11th have 21 points from 20 games so in theory could make the top 8 with 2 wins. This is all very competitive but I would think plans would have to be put in place so that all teams play their 22nd game at the same time and with the weather in Scotland (it has been relatively kind this season), we could find a time to get all games played quite difficult. Also with this, surely all “final” games in the other leagues will also have to be played at the same time so as the “new leagues” could all start at the same time.
Going back to another problem, Ross County could conceivably go on a wee run of wins and it might not take much to bring them into contention for a European place. Say they missed out on top 8 by a point or even goal difference, what motivation is there for them for the rest of the season? To gain promotion to the league they currently play in? Seems a tad strange to me.
Similarly, Dundee are cast aside at the bottom with only 12 points from 21 games so will in all likliehood be relegated. In this proposed system, there is nothing for them to play for in final few games. They may as well forget about it and save themselves for their second league.
The top 3 in the first division are all quite close. 2 teams on 36 points and Partick a point behind but 2 games in hand. All 3 relatively safe for a place in the “middle SPL league” and with a chance of promotion to the big one but again little chance of winning it with 4 SPL sides also included. Even getting promotion might be more difficult for one of them, that it would be now.
For me, I think the problems outweigh any possible benefits.
Mort
The Electric Flag .?
Knew a guy at Yoonie in 1968 whose record collection consisted of their first album–A Long Time Comin’ . He played it all night -every night . My addled ole bonce remembers it featured them absolutely murdering — Killing Floor.
He didn’t last long . He was ” admitted to hospital ” and was never seen again . Maybe too much Electric Flag is bad for your health ?
Saint Stivs
14:28 on
7 January, 2013
Innovation –
seperate areas for season book holders, with specific facilities to meeet their needs.
An “auldheids ” over 65 section, no standing allowed, lower teir seats, with extra giant tv screens every few feet, and the volume set at top level .
======================================================
Could the seats have a wee tartan blanket on them awaiting said auldheids, and when you lift them a commode is revealed? And can they put Horlicks on the menu? (at special OAP rates) I was going to ask for heated commodes, but that`s taking it a bit far…….
Barnsley given permission to speak to Terry Butcher about their vacant managerial position
Paul67
Whilst I agree that barriers to a wider geographical market need to come down because TV has created a market that is not as constrained by those barriers, it is difficult to see those benefitting from being inside the bigger market opening the doors to those outside.
Allowing for this perhaps we need to look at what actually constrains the creation of a more competitve set of divisions in Scotland and that is the cost of some of the solutions propsed caused by exisiting distribution of prize money.
For example winning the title not only provides the winner with prize money,it offers them the possibility of access to even greater prize money should the qualify for last 16 stages of Cl. Similarly clubs beneath the title winners get access to UEFA money.
Why not treat the SPL and UEFA prize money as one single pot and distibute it on a more equitable basis as all clubs contributed to the enabling the prize winners access?
I do not have the prize money figures but would treating it as one pot and distributing it more equitably not possibly remove the constraints that come up with split leagues etc and in time produce more competitive and sustainable leagues?
PeterScarff
Is that you Mr Agathe?
All the “auldheids” are asking for is a heated sitting and smoking area,where they can wear their slippers,smoke their pipes and ” tut tut ” all day long,not much to ask for IMO.
Could be time to reproduce the old Chinese fable about, “bringing the basket back”, even if only to explain it to SFTB! :>)
While the top section of 8 teams and the bottom section of 8 teams will I’m sure go into the final round of 14 fixtures with the same points they had at the split, I am not entirely sure how points accrued by teams who end up in the the middle secton of 8 teams might be apportioned.
For example, at the moment the bottom 4 teams in the SPL sit as follows after 21 games:
Hearts 26
St Mirren 25
Ross County 21
Dundee 12
While the top 4 in the SFL1 sit as follows as 18/19 games
Dunfermline 36
Morton 36
Partick Thistle 34
Raith Rovers 25
Clearly in a league section where these 8 teams are melded together at the split, they cannot carry existing league points into the new section.
Conversely, should points be reset to zero for the set of 14 of fixtures, Dundee and Raith Rovers are reprieved of their poor form over the first 22 games, while the performance of Hearts in the first half of the season – 14 points ahead of Dundee – counts for nothing.
It seems inevitable that one or more teams will be relegated from the previous year’s top 12 despite having accumulated more points over the course of the season than those who make it into the following season’s the ‘top 12’.
When/if that happens, the Game will once again be open to ridicule. Brilliant.
Never mind the arithmetic though, where’s the dough? I see talk of distributing wealth more evenly through the leagues, but unless there is a substantial uplift in income from this new format, we are essentially talking about redistributing poverty more evenly.
Does SPL/SFL have a new sponsor and TV deal lined up that will transform revenue?
Shall we hazard a guess?
While the forward looking football associations of Europe adopt a Regional/Merged strategy to counter-balance the weight of the Big 5 leagues on their doorsteps, Scottish Football’s administrators re-arrange the deck chairs on a listing ship.
Where did we find these people?
BobbyRussell
15:00 on
I was going to ask for heated commodes, but that`s taking it a bit far…….
————–
i do think you have taken it too far and in fact are being a bit
“auldist”.
leave the baldygrey brigade alone.
keep it lit.
Saint Stivs,
The Grey Brigade has great ring to it.
They could make TIFO’s out of their Werthers Orginals sweetie wrappers…
Have a look at this for a goal..
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/video/2013/jan/07/greek-children-goal-video
before anyone attacks me,
ive got no problem with the Grey Brigade.
a lifetime supporting Celtic gives your privaleges in my eyes.
so there.
so to does being a 16 year old green brigader enjoying their first season as a supporter.
Paul67
I would imagine plenty of blazers read your blog everyday but because of who and what you are they will never agree with you.
The Battered Bunnet @ 15 18.
Yup ——the proposals are a joke from a bunch of jokers..
If implemented —— poverty will be distributed more evenly.
Ship of fools !
The Battered Bunnet,
I can’t see how they can do anything other than start again on zero points. This is of course unfair on teams from both halves, and will also lead to a fair few meaningless games – both before and after the split.
Time to wheel out ye olde “Atlantic League”….it’s the future!
T4
Lennon n Mc….Mjallby
I would imagine plenty of blazers read your blog everyday but because of who and what you are they will never agree with you.
So what you’re saying is that Paul’s leader tomorrow should state that this is a wonderful idea and Sevco should be shoehorned back into the highlest league.
Mort
Scoff all you want, but a crack pipe masquerading as an electric flag would be no small achievment.
AnarchyIsForEveryone&NoOne CSC
Paul 67
Quite an uninspiring if not a little confusing proposal, it doesn’t read like a revolution to:
a. Distribute wealth throughout the game more fairly
b. Create a more competitive league structure
c. Promote home grown talent
d. create a more saleable ‘product’
So why bother at all?
Of course I know the answer to all of this, the crisis that was widely expected (hoped) to happen didn’t.
So is it ineptitude or some kind of bias to a favourite.
The answer for Celtic isn’t here.
.
My Celtic Match Day Itinery before I Left for Oz.. 96′ (Pre Laptops..Pre Larsson.. Pre Wim the Saviour)..
8am: Wake up Hungover get up to Read teletext..
8:03am: decide to just have One.. Hair of the Dog..
8:30am Go for the Paper doon Byers Road (Get more Hair of the Dog) Just in Case..
9:30am: GF wakes up.. Help her with the Housework..
9:45am: GF drives me to ML4 to See ma Wee Mam..
10:30am: Wee Mam makes me 2 Crispy rolls and Square Sausage..(1x with Ketchup..1x with HP brown Sauce..
10:55am GF takes me to the Pub to catch the ‘Bus’ for the Match..
2:20pm: Bus ready to Leave.. Run to Imrans for Bus refreshments (As its a Long Journey)..
2:30pm: The Rebel crew at the Back of the Bus convince me to take up Smoking again..
2:35pm: The Charlie and the Bhogs CD is Passed round the Bus..
2:40pm.. Arrive at Paradise.. Jump into the Vaults for a Curer..
2:55pm walk to Paradise..
3:00pm Game Kicks off..
3:50pm Go to the Vaults for a Quick pee..
4:10pm: Bus heads Back to ML4..
4:30pm: Go into thePub for One..
12:30am Call the GF to see if she will Pick me Up..
Sometime between 12:31am and Getting Picked Up..1:00am: I Make a Important Phone Call..
1:30am: Get back to Flat with GF have a Nightcap..
Circa 3-4am: Wake up trying to Remember what the Score at the Football was..??
5 Mins later Check phone Messages..
Message would generally read as Follows: “Hello 001.. It’s Me 001.. We Won 4-0.. Di Canio was Brill again and Big Pierre got a Cracker at the End.. That’s us Only 20 Points behind The Huns..Ooh before I forget I/You borrowed a ‘Pony’ from the Bus Tote..” Clunck..
4:30.. Go back to Bed Happy knowing the Hoops Won..
Fast forward End of April 2012..
Thanks to the Barefoot Legend that is VMhan I make my Debut for the Green Brigade in the Last Old Firm Derby..
9:00am Check CQN for Team News..
10:00am.. My Wee Mam makes me 2 Well fired Crispy rolls and Square Sausage both with Ketchup..
10:30am Text the GB to pick up Ticket at 11:30am outside Paradise..
11:00am My Dad runs me to Paradise (But strangely forgets to wish me Luck)..;-)
11:30am Meet GB Bhoys who introduce me to some of the Bhoys..
12:30pm: Some Stupid big Banner with Racehorses on it Blocks my View..Game Kicks Off..
2:15pm: After Singing while Moving Laterally for 90 Mins and Celebrating 3 well taken Goals I thank the GB members I was Standing with and the Stadium played..”When Will I See You Again” giving the 3rd degree to Departing Away Support..
Phone goes.. A CQNer offering me a Lift Home..
Two very Different Match Day Experiences..
Have I changed..? Yes
Has the Support Changed..? Yes
Both for the Better..
The GB Experience was Probably one of My Best ever Celtic Days..
Summa of SoberSoccerCSC
Scottish football is a basket case run by basket cases for the benefit of a few basket cases lucky enough to be in a place of unearned privilege, their handling of the whole Rankers shambles has shown us all that not one among our so called football men has had an original or inspiring idea since John Clark was in short trousers!!
It’s depressing watching them constantly apply plasters to a patient that is clearly suffering from heart failure…
Regan, Doncaster, Ogilvie, Balllantyne, Longmuir, jeezo what a list of unispiring, bent up shysters!!
We’re doomed ah tell ye..
One Association to re-invent the game..
Disband the SFA or say goodbye to Scottish Football!