So what do you do with a “dead parrot” (© Turnbull Hutton)? Well, as anyone familiar with the Monty Python sketch (and if that doesn’t include you, go watch) will tell you, you need to admit that the parrot is, technically an ex-…
As soon as you have widespread acceptance of this fact, your problems appear far less intimidating
When I say “you”, I don’t really mean you, unless you are one of the 11 chairmen or controllers of a Scottish Premier League club. In fact, we can probably narrow it down a bit more. As far as Ross County are concerned, this is a boom time! Their Highland neighbours will cope with whatever tomorrow brings, St Mirren and Motherwell are both morphing into community-owned-and-run clubs, infused with the kind of endeavour that got the sport of the ground a century ago.
The people who need to accept that the parrot is dead are in charge of Celtic, Aberdeen, Dundee United, Hearts, Hibs, St Johnstone and Kilmarnock.
Once this conclusion is reached, and before we dive off into new league structures, we should really pause and ask the important question, what do we want from our football?
I haven’t really heard much about this question in recent months, so here’s my ideas:
The solutions to our problems has to benefit the entire game, not just Celtic and/or Newco. It has to offer a real and substantial future for Dundee United, Aberdeen, Hibs, Hearts and all the others who have been economically disenfranchised in recent decades.
SPL clubs have been good at developing young talent in recent years but most of them are swimming against the tide. Dundee United lost Paul Dixon to Huddersfield Town last week while Aberdeen have spent most of this year contorting to hold 19-year-old Fraser Fyvie when there are around 80 clubs a few hundred miles away with higher wage budgets.
If these clubs emerge from the changes as paupers, unable to develop and retain talent in the face of Huddersfield Town, we have failed.
I want to see competitive football played in front of full stadiums. Uncompetitive football in front of low crowds is another failure.
I want to see our top clubs compete in Europe, which is different than just participating in Europe. Again, any plan which cannot deliver this is not good enough and should be rejected.
There are people across Scotland willing all of us who support SPL clubs to fail. Collectively, you, me, Hearts, Hibs, Aberdeen, United and other fans need to use the unique momentum for change to ensure our clubs become unrecognisably successful.
There are others in positions of power within our game who are dis-incentivised to think grand enough to deliver what fans actually want when they buy their season tickets or pitch-up to see their team.
For the past decade or more Celtic and Rangers have tried to shoehorn themselves into the English Premier League. This would have been good enough for both of them but there was little consideration given to other Scottish clubs.
If we are to invoke structural change in our game, we need to allow everyone in the league to fulfil their potential. We need to stop clubs from the lower leagues in England plucking the best talent from teams who previously competed in European finals.
The solution is simple and achievable. Scotland is not big enough to support competitive top-flight football where its clubs can develop and retain talent, but it has a league with many well-run clubs, who are more than able to match the resources of the likes of Wigan Athletic.
Our game should be reorganised along the following lines:
We retain our national team and Association. We retain the Scottish Cup and Scottish Football League, funded by an improved solidarity payment. We admit we cannot support top-flight football and ask to fold the SPL into the bottom of the English League structure.
In time we will all find our level. Celtic will rise to the top but there is no reason for half of the SPL to achieve the same as Wigan Athletic. The smaller SPL clubs will double or treble their income, no matter what heights they scale in the English system. Scottish Football League clubs will be able to achieve meritocratic advancement through the system. We will all flourish.
This is plan is deliverable. It would benefit the entire game. Our clubs would be able to retain talent as effectively as they did in the 1980s. Football would be competitive as each club would find and compete at its level, stadiums would fill and commercial income rocket. The giants of our game would be giants of Europe.
Instead of contemplating insolvency or social unrest, let’s agree on what we want from our sport and, with the cross-club grassroots movement we have, set about getting there.
It sure beats managing decline while others say, ‘told you so’.
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Rangers Tax-Case @rangerstaxcase
Remarkable that the 2 people hired to promote Scottish football have done so much to highlight its weakness and lack of value.
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so who have say aye and naw to the b&astard club?
Sky Help Team @SkyHelpTeam
@tambritton @StewartRegan We have no plans to pull out of covering the Scottish Premier League. Rob
Retweeted by Rangers Tax-Case
Tom Britton @tambritton
@skyhelpteam @StewartRegan says you will withdraw from the SPL contract if Rangers aren’t allowed into SFL1. Is that true? RT via@ianssmart
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That was the answer to the above question in previous post
Stewart Reagan now a proven liar
Paul67 I like the out of the box thinking but I can’t see that ever happening, too much change and erosion of power from Scotland, England and same for Uefa as they will not condone what will look like the formation of a new multi national league, they’ll think allow this and they’ll all be at it, sorry it ain’t happening, we stand a better chance affecting our own escape.
HH
Ian Smart asking SKy the obvious question, that no Scottish journo will ask
“Ian Smart@ianssmart
.@skyhelpteam Stuart Regan says you will withdraw from the SPL Contract if Rangers aren’t allowed into SFL1. Is that true? Please RT
Ten Men Won The League on 5 July, 2012 at 18:38 said:
Appreciate what they have said via twitter, but all it amounts to is that the “have no plans to pull out of covering the Scottish Premier League”, it does not say that they are willing to extend the deal beyond the current one on the same or better terms if Sevco are outwith the SPL.
Surely then we wouldn’t be able to be drawn against an English side in the CL groups therefore no battle of Britain until the English sides managed to make it out if the group stages against the mighty celts.
Rangers Tax-Case@rangerstaxcase
@SkyHelpTeam @tambritton @stewartregan But Mr Regan wouldn’t try to scare us would he?
Where’s the front loaded war chest money and has it been added to the Aiden McGeady money?
U
oooops RTCs repl to this from sky help team
Sky Help Team@SkyHelpTeam
@tambritton @StewartRegan We have no plans to pull out of covering the Scottish Premier League. Rob
Social Unrest… Peter McGuire, you are a disgrace. Hope your family are proud. You are lower than low “Martin”.
disappointed in the stenny statement
http://www.stenhousemuirfc.com/news/2012/07/05/790/
tho not surprised
these guys smell big bucks
shame they dont see
the bigger picture
The Sky replies are vague enough to cover all eventualities.
We can only cancel if and when Rangers land in SFL1.
fine news of fraser signing
terrific
http://www.celticfc.net/newsstory?item=2752
Ernie Lynch
Common sense tells me they won’t get in to any league in the next 4 weeks.
If they do get to third they do so with 6 recognised players a batch of trainees, dwindling fans, a transfer ban, bla blah blah
Personally don’t care where they end up as they will get pumped wherever they end up..
My bet is they don’t get in anywhere. Linlithgow,Spartans, Cove threaten legal action on the basis of no 3 years accounts..the SFL/ SFA will back off..
Former rangers players Marco Negri:
‘I was rapidly disillusioned by Rangers and especially their supporters. As part of my professional duties I was strongly encouraged to attend social functions which meant going to several Rangers supporters clubs. The last one I attended really brought home to me the fact that I had nothing in common with these people. The anti-Catholic feeling was venomous and the songs they sang that evening filled me with disgust. It was at that point I decided not to give my all for a club that condoned such behaviour. I went sick. Walter Smith knew the real reason for my ‘illness’ and he just ignored it. But I wasn’t lying, I was sick, sick of Rangers and sick of what they stood for and that is the truth’
B-)
10mins of audio of Stan today…
http://www.myoldmansaid.com/stiliyan-petrov-interview-33rd-birthday/
The issue on TV money is how much a revised deal could be worth.
From the Stenhousemuir statement the claim is that TV currently brings in £17.7M pa and that this would fall to £3M pa if Sevco is in division 3.
Now from what Sky and others pay to cover, say, the English Conference or whatever it is called now, does this seem realistic? Or is it part of the scare tactics to get SFL clubs to vote the way the execs want?
Most concerned to hear rumours that Tony Watt may be sent to Rotherham for a season on loan…
We need to keep him here,making sure that he gets sufficient games in the SPL and Europe in the coming season.
It’s not as if he needs to improve his physique…already,he’s a chunky six footer who can look after himself.
He definitely has something about him
,and needs to stay at Parkhead so that his development be monitored..could well turn out to be our best young talent for decades. Too often,we produce skilful players who lack the physique to prosper.
In any case,we need extra cover in the striking department this year,with the likelihood of additional games in Europe,either in the CL group stages,or in the Europa League.
Last season,we were fortunate,with no striker suffering a serious injury,or being missing for more than a couple of games….compare and contrast to our central defence,despite our supposed ‘surplus’ of centre-halfs..
We cannot continue to rely on good fortune…Tony Watt is EXACTLY the player we will depend on to bring us success this season..
So forget about sending a level-headed boy 300 miles down to Rotherham,away from his support structures,his family and friends…all that is familiar to him.
I struggle to recall a player sent on loan to an English club who ever returned a better player.
If any striker is surplus to requirements(other than Rassmussen),this would be Bangura,who has failed to show any evidence that he possesses the quality to justify a place in the squad..ever.
——–
And this season,NL has to show more confidence in our young players…..and be prepared to trust them to replace established players in the team…for instance,at the weekend following a midweek Euro fixture..
Even if we lose some of these games,it will benefit us in the long term,and should not have a bearing on our ultimate success in the competitions..
Basil Regan and Manuel Doncaster blundering from one disaster to the next here.
Central to the everything in this sorry mess are two things.
Scottish Football Fans
Satellite Television
Everything revolves around these two issues. All the fear all the harassment and all the disinformation being peddled by Messrs Doncaster and Regan.
I am in Derbyshire so it is difficult in fact well nigh impossible for me to have an influence but if I were in say the Central Belt of Scotland I would be talking to each and every fan grouping and asking them if they believe as I do that we are potential Lions led by Donkeys each to determine from their fan base their subscription value to the Broadcasters and their willingness to cancel subscriptions totally if called upon to do so.
Armed with real facts as opposed to waffle an approach can then be made to the Broadcasters basically to say support our game now or pay the price of wholesale terminations.
A suggestion that we can only achieve £3m for our rights is ludicrous and any admission by the man responsible for their negotiation is adequate enough of a resignation letter for me. The man is a buffoon it appears and a well paid one at that.
My puzzle and nagging doubt here is when this is so obvious to simple me why are our Chairmen of Clubs who employ these people not now calling for their removal?
I cant see us getting into England unless the game really is a bogey in Scotland and the professional game collapses. Under such circumstances the SFA might just support such an intiative. It’s not likely.
Unless of course Regan and co are correct in their predictions concerning Newco going tp the 3rd Division. That’s not likely either is it?
Mind you, say the Tartan Tories do better than expected in the run up to the Referendum. If I were a Unionist politician and had any clout I’d be bringing any pressure I could to bear on allowing Scottish teams to play football in England. If that was pulled off the independence question would never be heard of again.
Jim Murphy and John Reid could surely do us a wee turn?
I know I know…..not very likely.
Sad fact is we’ll probably have to downsize big time. Players will get bored and demand a move away. Fans will start falling away in their droves too. I reckon Lawell and co will be praying Newco get into Div1. I do too.
We admit we cannot support top-flight football and ask to fold the SPL into the bottom of the English League structure
Ask who?
The FA presumably.
The Football League next.
Then the Premier League.
The FA will say “no”: why should they say anything else? They’ll be firmly advised by people in the game and outside it to say no, on financial, public order and straightforward “Why the hell should we?” grounds. Their overseers, FIFA and UEFA, will say “no” too – or else where will it end?
The Football League will say “No”, as will every member club. The reasons why are clear to the meanest intelligence.
The Premier League will say “No”, for all the reasons adduced above for the FA and the League saying “No”. Plus they say “I’ve got mine, so tough” (this is the actual mission statement of the EPL)..
Finally, virtually all the football fans in England will say “No”, and we approve, I believe, of fan power.
The future is in Scotland, in a competitive league based on four big cities and a handful of town/regional hub teams. Heavy redistribution of income, maybe a salary cap, and probably play all through the summer with a close season in January and February.
Professional football carries on in similar or smaller countries than Scotland – Sweden, Norway, Denmark – with a small number of elite clubs and a sound base of part-time pros.
Maybe covered before but bear with me.
The recent carve-up of the epl rights has resulted in sky and bt being selected ass the next privileged ones.
Now we have a director/chairman , iain bankier? Who is a high heid yin at bt .
Maybe now is the time for the spl/celtic to be discussing a ppv model for our games , all available through bt vision
£1 per week- you know me, I like that number, over 100k subscribers would put £20m into our game.
Bhoylo83
Mate that is a well-known spoof!
Programme on ESPN @10pm-11:30pm tonight…SPL..A look back at the 2011/2012 season.
Iain King is outdoing Bomber. He’s a star, wee Peter ChangemyName having a lovely bowl of Biddys’ finest.
Paul67
Havent read back but one of the big things for me is we get rid of the LL and the obes that survive will have to write reports on games that are factual and dont have any bias or inuendo (co George Peat).
Eh….that leaves ……back later !
from RTC poster
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canadianindie says:
05/07/2012 at 6:48 pm
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For what it is worth, here are the members of the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee that has asked to look into the events at Rangers within the next two weeks. (Although the SFA are not sure if they will have the time to attend in person!) …
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture,_Media_and_Sport_Committee
I have just emailed Tom Watson MP suggesting that he needs to review RTC to thoroughly understand what has been happening. Perhaps some others would like to take the initiative of emailing Tom and the other members too .
========
Sannabhoy
Dont know about Bankier but Livingstone is a bug hitter in BT and he’s on the board
Paul67
A couple of years back Gordon Taylor CEO of the PFA in England came out with a suggestion for a merged UK league. I’ve tried finding it on Google but no luck, I think it was reported in the press. However there would be no harm writing to him and asking what his views were then and if he still held them.
That would get a bit of weight behind the idea which I thought since I first read it was a no brainer solution to legitimately (as part of the UK) place Scottish football into the wider UK market, against whom it has to compete not just with one hand tied behind its back when in goal but bootlaces tied together if outfield (or is that Stokesy on a bad day?)
There is another very interesting aspect in the political side with a capital P. If I were a Prime Minister in England wanting to maintain the Union I would be doing my level best to have Scottish and English football so much part of the complete fabric of UK society, ripping it up would be unthinkable and I would be doing all I could to make it happen.
Conversely if I were First Minister in Scotland aiming to be the Prime Minister of an independent Scotland, the last thing I would want is an event taking place over the next couple of years that basically inferred that the country, like football would be much better off as an integral part of a larger UK market.
Indeed if I were a unionist MP (right or left) I would be pointing out the failure of Scottish banks and the mindset that was shared by them in football, suggested that whilst Scotland might be OK on its own two feet, just like whatever survives the current debacle in football, that as an integral part of the wider UK market it would be positively racing ahead as you described.
For this to happen it has to go political with a capital P and it is the kind of thing Alistair Darling leader of the cross party group conducting the ” Better Together” campaign might well be interested in promoting.
So its Gordon Taylor Darling. ;)
Poor wee Sally…
“For the record, in terms of sanctions that
have been imposed already, we were
deducted 10 points, we had our Champions
League place taken away from us, we were
fined £160,000, we are out of Europe for
another three years and, of course, we are
out of the SPL.
“I think that’s quite a lot.”
On the Tony Watt rumour,sat next to Danny McGrain on a flight home from Malaga 2 weeks ago. Said Celtic were not going to let any of the development squad out on loan this year. Going to be playing EPL reserve teams all season.
Ernie Lynch:
I agree that for div 2 and 3 teams it might be attractive to grab the Hun pound and vote them in at the foot. But Stenhousemuir is in div 2, they’re advocating div 1 for them. I wonder if they fancy promotion and don’t want Huns spoiling their chances. If that is the case, for similar reasons I don’t agree div1 teams would vote yes, because they tend to be either promotion hopefuls (don’t want a strong Huns in competing) or relegation avoiders (they’d rather have a weaker side down the bottom with them). Hence apply same theory to div 2: don’t want promotion spoilers like Livingston coming up, do want relegation rivals down bottom. Stenny’s decision was to pitch them in div 1 so they’re never rivals, but i think they will be in the minority. Top of div 3: don’t want promotion rivals, div 1 please. I reckon the lower div 3 teams would fancy a boost to their crowds for a couple of games and could vote yes to div 3. Trad mid table div 3 teams will ask why should they get a parachute – apply to div 3, certainty. And there is the sporting integrity factor and the annoyance of having three years of audits completely ignored- will surely annoy some. So I would expect:
All div 1 teams to vote no to div 1, apply to div 3*
Some div 2 teams to vote yes to div 1, but more (integrity and bottle shown, and a bit of safeguarding) to vote apply to div 3*
Some div 3 teams to vote yes to div 1 as they don’t want them competitive in div 3, most to vote yes to apply to div 3*
* but apply to div 3 does not mean go into div 3; their application with Spartans et al would be considered, and surely at that point with three year books rule kicking in then, Spartans, not Newco, are voted vote into the SFL.
I think Stenny have affection for rangers and hence their stance, but I think others will say bomb them down, believing they have a win or win: they come in or up and we’ll take the increased gate for a couple of games, or we wipe out a group calling themselves Rangers that were responsible for the biggest scandal to ever hit Scottish football. Personally I think the vote will go to apply for div 3 and their bid will then be refused, come back in 3 years.
Hail hail!
sannabhoy on 5 July, 2012 at 19:09 said:
Maybe covered before but bear with me.
The recent carve-up of the epl rights has resulted in sky and bt being selected ass the next privileged ones.
Now we have a director/chairman , iain bankier? Who is a high heid yin at bt .
Maybe now is the time for the spl/celtic to be discussing a ppv model for our games , all available through bt vision
£1 per week- you know me, I like that number, over 100k subscribers would put £20m into our game.
———————————————————————————————————
Like your idea but think you are referring to Ian Livingston (BT CEO).
Iain King trying to play down EBT’s and dual contracts. He’s after our money too. Half the gate receipts. Dirty hurtin hun.
Re gate recipts. If this was to be shared could Celtic not just charge a membership fee then sell members a season ticket for a nominal fee?
Tooting
I assumed so