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’.
321 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
acoustamatix @ 21.17
* sadly, I agree with much of this *
The glow of (relative) contentment that has enveloped us since yesterday has even spread to me.
There now seems to be a general recognition that other Scottish football fans aren’t necessarily huns wearing different colours. Some of them may well be bigots, but it’s clear that they’re prpared to allow concern for the rules to overcome prejudices .Might not the same be true of our fellow-Scots in general? Might they/we perhaps even be fit to run their/our own country (admittedly a separate argument) .Mrs IC – bless her – works voluntarily for Mary’s Meals& has recently been invited to talk to a Church of Scotland women’s group about her organisation.
I’ll revert to argumentative mode tomorrow.
TheOriginalSadiesBhoy on 5 July, 2012 at 21:33 said:
You made me think about what I preferred and I realise whilst selfishly I would love to see Celtic in the English Leagues I really want to see it for the benefit of the real regular competitive football it would bring. For that to happen in Scotland all the other clubs need a real incentive to develop and hold onto players. That can only come if crowds and paying customers increase. That will only come with real competition and with that will come better TV income etc leading to improvements in Europe. Its a chance to put the horse before the cart.
I wrongly assumed earlier, Paul, that you very suggesting we adopt the English ‘system’…….. Still not sure what you mean, but will now read back to understand what your idea / reason is …….LOL
I would rather remain in the SPL, to be honest….we are a Scottish Club, with Irish roots, and I am absolutely delighted that we will have at least 1 season without the hatred merchants…… Think, they are no more, and they’re also beginning to realise it now ……Doo Doooooooooooooooo
Hmmm…The SFL Meeting…D-Day moved to Friday The Thirteenth……..
A Day Heavily Invested With Masonic Significance……
Dark Forces are being Summoned….
There will be Fiery Beacons on the Hillsides…
For on the Thirteenth Day of October,in the Year of Our Lord 1307,the Original Freemasons,the Knights Templar…were rounded up by Phillip IV of France,for the crimes of evading taxes,and indulging in an early form of EBTs…
The Miscreants were subsequently also found guilty of idolatry,rituals involving goats,financial corruption and fraud…
Oh…And their ‘Big Hoose’ was confiscated…… ;-).
Knights Templar-The Original Freemasons
TheOriginalSadiesBhoy on 5 July, 2012 at 20:49
Celtic won the European with a team of home grown players all born within 20 miles of Parkhead. Could this be done again by a Scottish Team? An impossible dream you say but why should that be?
As you have correctly pointed out the decline started in the 80’s with the importation of English players and then Players from further afield. The decline was accelerated by the availability of TV money allowing more and more teams in Scotland to bring in more and more foreign players. Did this improve the quality of football in Scotland and bring in more European success? The resounding answer is no. Not only did our club teams lose out but the same period saw an alarming drop in the modest achievements of the Scotland team. Why did this happen?
The influx of foreign players led directly to our top clubs neglecting the development of young players in Scotland while at the same time allowing too much money to go abroad with the mercenaries when their contracts were finished. Too often the imported players were mediocre or over the hill rejects or worse at time both. Just think about Celtic, even allowing for the recent crop of young foreign talent who are proving successful, you don’t have to think too hard to come up with a list of duds.
Take a look at the recent England performance in the Euro Championships. English fans are mystified by the imbalance between their club success and the National team’s indifferent performance in international competitions. If you look at the make up of the EPL there were many of their top players taking part but very few were wearing an England jersey? Being generous I would say 2.
The astonishing thing for me is that this decline on both sides of the border is being financed by the very people that the SFA and EFA are in thrall to namely the TV companies and particularly SKY and the Murdoch empire. Eufa and Fifa are just as guilty by organising club and international competitions to suit the media companies.
Can we change this?
I’m not sure that we can but what I am sure of is that TV is destroying the game we love. My hope is that the stranglehold will be broken by the dire state of the game on both sides of the border. Too many clubs are running with debts that cannot be sustained by paying players wages that can’t, in my opinion, be sustained. We are past that point in Scotland as has been proved by Rangers failing in spectacular style. At least 2 other clubs in Scotland are teetering on the edge.
itsabouttim on 5 July, 2012 at 21:49 said:
TOSB said, ‘somebody say something sensible’ so is anyone able to answer my last post @ 20:51 about Sevco leapfrogging the queue?
…………………………………………………………..
Several posters have addressed this point recently and it is a good point. Someone pointed out that Cove Rangers (another said Spartans) would be interested in taking up a vacant position in Div 3 since they have submitted audited accounts for the past 3 seasons and Sevco are not able to do so. Many feel that Sevco will not be playing football in any professional division next season for this reason.
Another erudite poster pointed out today that Sevco might start the season with a 25 point penalty since they sre still in Administration until 31 July and that the season begins with Ramsdens’ Cup on 29 July so Sevco still in administration.
Hail! Hail!
derbyshirebhoy on 5 July, 2012 at 20:15 said:
One of the things to emerge of late is just how much the nature of the contract with Sky as presented by Doncaster and msm is destroying the intergrity of our game. That it was undermining it by fuelling higher wages darn sarf has been a sad fact of life for a while, but the combination of both and Romanov’s statement on SPLTV has focussed attention back on to how Sky have a lot to answer for in terms of the destruction of our game.
So there is a mood there to develop and the RTC blog, with supporters from many clubs reading, is one place to build on that mood.
A survey of fans asking if the subscribe to Sky/ESPn or Virgin and Sky Sports, how much and if they would consider pulling out of Sky do not change their approach to the Scottish nation (got to make it a nation issue) might attract attention.
There is another factor and that is ESPN losing out to BT Vison must raise questions if they are going to hang around anyway and for how long. What an opportunity for BT Vision to step in especially as the BT Vision CEO Mark Watson (Not Ian Livingston the BT CEO at Celtic)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012/jul/01/bt-vision-marc-watson-interview?newsfeed=true
has according to the above article experience of the SPL TV issues in Scotland.
So if ESPN might be pulling out and Sky are really robbing Scottish Football blind and with BT Vision on the prowl why is Doncaster not on the blower taling to BT Vision?
BikerGerryS on 5 July, 2012 at 22:04 said:
TheOriginalSadiesBhoy on 5 July, 2012 at 20:49
…………………………………………………………
Excellent point. I forgot to say in my post that there was no Sky Tv deal in the first half of the 80s. If you wanted to watch a live game – and many did – you had to go out and pay your money. When we won the league at Love St. in 1986 the game wasn’t on live TV nor was the Dundee v Hearts game – both sellouts.
When we beat RFC 4-2 at Ibrox in early 80s on same day as Aberdenn could have pipped us to the League Title, but Dundee Utd actually did by beating Dundee FC , all games were sold out and there was no live game on the telly.
The more I think about it the more I think we need to get back to this. With regards to Sky we are like junkies living on heroin.
…………………………………………………….
Derbyshire Bhoy
Thanks again for your reply. I agree that I’d love to see Celtic playing in England and for us to find a true competitive level that a huge club such as ours deserves. However, this is perhaps the start of a new dawn for Scottish football. As someone said earlier, no longer can we dismiss the supporters of smaller clubs than Celtic as ‘ Huns without the bus fare’. They have made a stand. They have come to a reasoned decision to put pressure on their clubs knowing that it might be detrimental to them financially to exclude Newco from the SPL.
Bearing that in mind and the rebuffs we have had from the CEO of the FL, perhaps we need to press for an all encompassing change to Scottish Football’s structure – based on merit – that is fair to all of the teams and devote all of our energies to improving the product on offer and increasing the competitive levels of all teams. Let’s try to keep resources (money and players) in Scotland. This might necessitate the inclusion of escape clauses if a certain amount of money is bid for a particular player but insofar as we can we need to promote the Scottish game with perhaps no TV deal and if a particular game catches the public interest, let’s sell the TV rights to the highest bidder if the game is already a sell out – just as we used to do. And make sure we charge plenty for it.
Green has stated that he will play in ANY division and respect any result.
Having seen the Stenhousemuir statement I now understand why. He doesn’t think for a minute he will end up anywhere other than Div 1.
Green fully aided and abetted by Regan and Doncaster must be laughing as he builds a profit for himself. Does he care about Scottish football????????? Bluff!
Shameful.
Now money. That is what the Celtic Board is good at. This is where and when the need to enter the fray. Celtic can and must present other financial options.
Overall, we still ultimately have the fans. Sky would do well to consider whether they might face the same solidarity as the season ticket withholding.
Remember. This is a sting…………..
HH
NEW ARTICLE BHOYS AND GHIRLS
question time is on atm
what question would you most like to see in a citizen test?
who was the first british and northern hemisphere football team to win the european cup?
that would do for me!
re Ally interview
http://www.rangerstv.tv/viewfree.php?it=10386&c=News&r=236678734985
1. “its terrible” – question for Ally….did you receive your salary last week ? Did you receive it the week before that ? Will you receive it next week ? Yes ? – therefore….WHY is it terrible ?
2. “the people that deserve the biggest apology is our fans” – question for Ally…..WHY ? Your fans had a very good time for the past 20 years ! They “won” (i.e. STOLE !!) several league championships ! They sat about drinking tea instead of investigating the problems of the club ! They dissed reports coming out of Donegal (so it was Paddy!) saying that the club was going down the tubes ! They are LARGELY to blame for this shambles !
3. agreed – it is disappointing that other clubs have cancelled recent fixtures while fans have already made and paid for travel arrangements – but whose fault was it in the first place
4. Ally STILL disnae get it !! – his take is that of those he is rubbing shoulders with on a daily basis – i.e. a big boy did it and ran away !
and it suits him fine cos of Item No1 above – salary still coming !! Someone really should bring him up to speed with the truth of the matter – one would think he is acting dumb deliberately !?!
Another magic ‘jelly and ice cream’ caller – Tommy – on Radio5 just now… To be fair at least Tony Livsey knew about it!
Excellent out of the box thinking, exactly what is needed.
The problem will be SFA cronies who will have to give up control of individual FIFA voting rights.
A merger of the Scottish and English leagues would mean a united GB for Internationals with only lower league and non league football part of the SFA.
Im sure real football fans will not care, as Scotland have become whipping boys for well organised Eastern European teams anyway.
Onward and Upwards, dont fear change, change is needed!!
Whither the cash strapped scrofulous New hillbillies the day?