It was only in February this year that the proposed Russia-Ukraine joint league first reached the stage of formal meetings between clubs to discuss the viability but tonight a showcase tournament between top clubs from each country gets underway tonight. It is hoped the formal joint league will start this time next year when the top nine teams from each country will form the Unified First League.
Despite discouragement from Fifa, Uefa have insisted only that proper procedures are followed to give their ascent to the league. Gazprom, the Russian energy giant and Uefa Champions League sponsor, has underwritten the project with a commitment of 1 billion euros per annum.
As we know, in football, money talks, and the Russian and Ukrainian clubs, together with their national associations and Uefa, have been talked happy to make change possible.
In order to become competitive with their rivals in the west while meeting Uefa Financial Fair Play rules, Russian and Ukrainian clubs need to increase income, which the Unified First League would go a long way towards. Uefa president, Michel Platini, has long accepted that regionalisation was a viable way forward for domestic leagues, while former powers in smaller leagues have become disenfranchised from the game’s top table.
What does it mean for us?
Well, we don’t have a Gazprom, not yet, anyway, but once Gazprom’s financial and political muscle establishes the principle of regionalisation, that principle is available to all. Former Yugoslavia countries are already in talks, while Scandinavian countries have already had a few abortive attempts at (underfunded) regional cup competitions.
The British region.
Welsh football has managed to retain its national identity, provide an infrastructure for provincial and community clubs, while federating with the FA in England to allow their larger (sic) clubs to find their competitive level.
The model is already established for Scottish football, which has realised living with one (or two for that matter) massive club which completely invalidates their league competition as a ‘competition’ is no longer the best way to order their affairs.
Financial recklessness caused the collapse of one club a year ago while the recklessness of a Lithuanian bank has put another in jeopardy. A handful of other top-flight clubs now realise their financial commitments, not to mention sporting objectives, are no longer viable, with or without the crumbs from the table thrown in their direction when TV cameras and a few thousand fans arrive a few times per season.
Federate with England, just as the Welsh did. It will bring ‘competition’ back to our competitions, put thousands of everyone’s gates and provide access to viable commercial contracts.
Why are our leagues and Association not speaking to the English about this right now? The Football League in England is every bit as much a basket case as Scottish football right now, they also need to change the structural model and, unlike the equally lunatic (English) Premier League, appear to be self-aware in this respect.
Go talk to the Welsh FA, Cardiff City, Swansea, Wrexham or New Saints FC (!) and ask them what organising their game along the lines of the Scottish model would do to them.
Scottish football must federate or it will die. As such, if we stand on the precipice of crisis, let’s make it a good one. It’s the only thing which will get things moving.
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Hail my good Lhads and Lhasses. Long long term lurker here and a great admirer of this site. Can I ask you all to send prayers or just positive thoughts the way of my sisters tonight. Lets just call them Morar-ghirl and Doncaster-ghirl. Morar-ghirl will tomorrow morning donate a much needed kidney to Doncaster-ghirl. They are both obviously nervous and would, I’m sure, appreciate your kind thoughts.
Hail Hail CJ % AM
Morar-man
Welcome aboard sir :))
Thoughts and prayers with the Ghirls and all the family.
Till tomorrow all
I’m really impressed by the Italians fitness. I’m scared they can’t keep this up though.
Morar-man
Best wishes to your sisters – hope and pray that all goes well tomorrow….
Game opening up now
WWC
let he who hath had his broadband fixed post forth
Morar-man
a wee prayer for your ghirls.
Morar-man
My thoughts are with the lassies! A fantastic thing to do, even for a sibling.
Been reading back so thanks for all the congratulatory comments. And the funnies too.
I know that a few of you have links to me on facebook where I posted a picture of the event. Some cracking replies there too including a suggestion from my nephew that he saw Elvis tonight but as he was on his own I just have to believe him.
I will sleep easy tonight in the knowledge that I saw it happen….
mynameisnotThomasCSC
.
So CQN is Now a Antl-Windmillist Blog..
I Hope Virgil Fae the Dyke does Not read CQN..
There is Only Two Pierre’s might give him the Heads Up..
Summa of WindyMillerCSC
Morar-man
Wee prayer will be given up tonight.
BSR:
You looking for a songs debate?
:-)
Morar-man
Prayers said!
Keep us posted!
Take care.
I know I shouldn’t argue with fellow Tims
but…gonnae lay aff the manky mob?
Ah mean.. ok….they done some dodgy stuff…….
shafted some clubs….
pissed in HMRC’s face……
Owed other clubs for duffers they signed….
Pretended they are the same wee bigoted WeArra Peepil club….
Wull never be sponsored by Persil…… (aye aw yoos conspiracists….)
Invented denial……
Can win a cup we cannae….:(Ramsdens)
Cannae win a cup we huv……(The big one)
eat thur weans ….( right ahm stoppin noo but feel free tae add)
Good luck to the girls tomorrow.
BSR
Is that إنترنت speak?
….PFayr:
They have bought/leased a Bus from who knows, Bruce’s Coaches have supplied it, the owner a self confessed orc. Kitted out with all mod cons, from their tartan, electric tables, cooking facilities, personalised headrests for coaching staff and inclusing they five stars on the outside, I kid you not Reg. No.: R1 WTP…sad
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Evening all
Not posted in a while but always lurking, Hail Hail!!
Looking for help to settle an argument fae the pub earlier.
Who is our record signing?
I said Berkovic or Lennon but my mate was convinced it was Scheidt or Sutton?
HH
Extra time….
tonydonnelly67
Well what about media house planning to photograph and expose identities of the tax officers who were investigating the hun.
The exposure of the co-ordinated way that SMS persue their pro sevcoanti celtic agenda.
And the connections between the caball of spivs.
Plus insights into the SFA collusion.
Of course weve all suspected much of this but now its out in the open, now we really know .
I think Charlotte doing a great job ……..and theres much more to come.
Spiffing zero – zero game of soccer!
morar-man
21:34 on 27 June, 2013
Please Tell the Ghirls we all send our best wishes.
Jobo
I wouldn’t worry too much about that FB mob they’re just jealous of your golfing prowess and weather predicting ability.
prae
yes, with سواحلي سواحلي and س
Oh my name it is Sam Hall, chimney sweep chimney sweep,
Oh my name it is Sam Hall, and I love you one and all,
Oh my name it is Sam Hall, chimney chimney sweep.
morar-man
Prayers and best wishes for a successful outcome!
needed to get that tune off my chest
Morar:
Audentes fortuna iavat…
morar-man.
Hope all goes well with your sisters and your next post is great news.
Ktf.HH
I think Lenny – he cost 5.75?
Lennybhoy
We shouldn’t be surprised the depths they will stoop to, they are playing to the lowest (which must be difficult) elements of their following, there’s a season book drive on, to all intents and purposes that’s falling below what they need, answer? Revert to type, different company, new club, same bigotry.
BSR
Ye cannae beat these Arabic Internt Bambots – having trouble trying to translate KevJ’s immortal phrase: “aff oot” – ye olde scribes seemed to have missed that one! :-)
“Great teams find a way to win”
Mr Mensa
Bamboo……… I hear what you are saying, but nothing has changed, you are bang on everything you say, but nothing has changed, it has us talking about it, but no one else seems to think its a big deal that’s my point, needs cranked up, a wee bit WOW! I didn’t know that sorta thing.
Re the huns bus registration number.
I couldn’t give a f**k! Who cares man????
Celtic, Celtic that’s the team for me!
Double winners, big cup winners, 125 years unbroken glorious history, no debt, money in the bank, properly run, 2 great signings this window so far, great draw in the Champions League, wonderful, wonderful support!
I couldn’t give monkeys if the bloody bus is orange too!
And I’ll sleep well tonight.
The Ran*ers?
Who the f**k are they?
irishcol
Did Sam give up that job after catching the flu(e)?
Haven’t heard sam hall for about twenty years
Che :),, he must have been some sweeper to have a song written about him.
West Wales Celtic 21.06
Don’t worry I know the initiation. Tongue firmly in cheek. Tomorrow I will learn how to do the smiley face ;/)(
Bournesouprecipe
Nobody likes a show off );(/
How do you do that?