The state of the bottom of the table

121

Aberdeen’s season fell off a cliff after they met Celtic in the League Cup semifinal in November.  More recently, form has picked up.  They have lost only one of their last 11 games, a 5-1 drubbing at Celtic Park, winning seven in that time.  That puts them in reasonable form for the battle for European places, before attempting to deny Celtic a treble at Hampden next month.

The scale of St Johnstone’s collapse on Sunday suggests they are too fragile to mount a survival campaign.  They are five points adrift of Dundee, but it’s Ross County and Kilmarnock (six ahead of St Johnstone) who are more likely to capitulate.  Killie were equally poor a week earlier at Celtic Park.  The prospect of making the top flight bigger by adding yet more cannon fodder is not appealing to fans of competitive sport, or TV broadcasters.

Our pal Conaire12, Fr Charlie Cavanagh, passed away yesterday – in good company!  He recently retired from a parish in Greenock and was with the team in Lisbon in 67.  A good pal to many here, he will be missed.  Rest in Peace, Charlie.

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  1. Concentration is required. Dundee United are next for a doing to mathematically clinch the League. Only then do we deal with the Huns. Then use the pool up to the Cup final in 5 weeks. Clinch the treble

     

     

    Business as usual

  2. Howdy!

     

     

    Some decent weather ahead for the bluegrass state.

     

     

    It aint blue, it’s teal.

  3. Celtic rake in more than double of Rangers from UEFA as national team exploits earn 13 Scottish clubs cash boost

     

     

    Eleven top flight sides benefit from the scheme which rewards clubs for releasing players for international competitions

     

     

    Sport

     

    Robbie Chalmers Sports Trends Writer

     

    10:52, 22 Apr 2025

     

    Updated 10:55, 22 Apr 2025

     

    EURO 2024 logo is seen ahead of the UEFA EURO 2024 Germany at Leipzig Stadium on June 11, 2024 in Leipzig, German

     

    EURO 2024 logo is seen ahead of the UEFA EURO 2024 Germany at Leipzig Stadium on June 11, 2024 in Leipzig, German(Image: Getty Images)

     

    A total of £2.4million has been awarded to 13 Scottish football clubs for releasing their players to national team competitions.

     

     

    Celtic took away by far the biggest chunk from UEFA’s initiative reward with £882,958.

     

     

    Article continues below

     

    138403573878

     

     

    The Hoops’ total is roughly double that of Old Firm rivals Rangers who were given £443,119 for playing their part.

     

     

    READ MORE:Rangers takeover clues bursting out of Leeds United open letter as 49ers show world what is coming next

     

     

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    Eleven Premiership clubs in total benefited, while Scottish Championship outfits Dunfermline (£6k) and Livingston (£12k) also earned a piece of the consolidation payments pie.

     

     

    The initiative was agreed in 2022 by the UEFA Executive Committee with a record £200m distributed to 901 clubs from all 55 participating national associations.

     

     

    Article continues below

     

     

     

     

     

    A total of £86m was reserved to the release of players to the 2020/21 and 2022/23 UEFA Nations League, as well as the European Qualifiers to UEFA EURO 2024.

     

     

    The amount secured for the release of players to the UEFA EURO 2024 final tournament also increased, from £116m to £120m, with funds going to 196 clubs from 29 UEFA national associations.

     

     

    Clubs and leagues who benefitted vary throughout the football pyramid down to amateur level.

     

     

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    ).

     

     

    Scottish club earnings (converted from Euros)

     

    Aberdeen – £138,299

     

    Celtic – £882,958

     

    Dundee FC – £12,572

     

    Dundee United – £75,436

     

    Dunfermline Athletic – £6,286

     

    Heart of Midlothian – £355,041

     

    Hibernian – £59,720

     

    Kilmarnock – £37,718

     

    Livingston – £12,572

     

    Motherwell – £260,815

     

    Rangers – £443,119

     

    St Johnstone – £37,718

     

    St. Mirren – £78,579

     

    Commenting on the solidarity payments, UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin said: “It is fantastic to see clubs of all sizes and levels, across the entire football pyramid, receiving financial rewards for their vital role in developing players who contribute to the success of our national team competitions – including the highly successful UEFA EURO 2024 final tournament.

     

     

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    “Every success of our competitions is a shared one, and this benefits programme is another testament to that principle, recognising the dedication of those who work tirelessly to make European football the greatest sport in the world. When football thrives, everyone benefits.”

     

     

    Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, Chairman of the ECA, said: “I am very pleased see that more than 900 clubs from all corners of Europe have benefited from this unprecedented distribution under the Club Benefits Programme, which is a key pillar of UEFA and ECA’s Memorandum of Understanding.

     

     

    “This initiative recognises that clubs play a vital role in the ongoing success of national team football through developing, employing and releasing players; and also that the national team game in-turn drives the development of clubs and their communities.

     

     

    Article continues below

     

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    “This harmonious relationship perfectly reflects the great collaboration between UEFA and ECA today, driving growth, innovation and the positive development of European football in the interests of all.”

  4. DUNDEE UNITED V CELTIC

     

    WILLIAM HILL PREMIERSHIP | TANNADICE PARK | SAT APR 26 | KO 12.30PM

     

     

    Ticket Information

     

    The club has received an allocation of 3,776 tickets for this match.

     

    Tickets for this match are available amongst Season Ticket holders who attended 9 or more away games over the 2023/24 Season.

     

    Buy Online

     

    Prices

     

    Tickets for this match can be purchased online only and are priced:

     

     

    Jerry Kerr Stand

     

    Adult: £42/£41 Restricted View

     

    65+, Under 21 and Full Time Students: £25/£24 Restricted View

     

    West Stand

     

    Adult: £40/£39 Restricted View

     

    65+, Under 21 and Full Time Students: £23/£22 Restricted View

     

    Under 12: £15

     

    Booking fees apply online.

     

     

    Deadline

     

    The deadline for eligible Season Ticket holders to purchase tickets for this match is 2pm on Wednesday, 23 April.

     

     

    Ticket Delivery

     

    There is an option for collection at the Celtic ticket office or special delivery.

     

    Tickets sent via special delivery will have a special delivery fee of £9.32 per booking.

     

    Bu

  5. bournesouprecipe on

    Celtic raise concerns over Dundee Harp’s dynamic pricing …………….then ask supporters for £9.32 delivery fee.

     

     

     

    Sheesh CSC

  6. Back to Basics - Glass Half Full on

    I detest plastic pitches.

     

     

    The prospect of us playing on 3 of them next season don’t sit well with me.

     

     

    C’mon St Johnstone.

  7. Or in other words….

     

    Lets keep the Old Firm Flag flying here…..

     

     

    OldFirmrUsCSC

  8. bigrailroadblues on

    Remembering our great Captain Billy Mcneill who passed away on this day in 2019.

     

    Rest in peace Billy.

  9. 932

     

    If you understand the importance of numbers in relation to the Cosmos….

     

    You will realisie that it means that the Angels are trying to communicate with you….

     

    Either that or the ghost of Desmond White…..

  10. Hoop hoop Hooray on

    “The scale of St Johnstone’s collapse on Sunday suggests they are too fragile to mount a survival campaign. They are five points adrift of Dundee, but it’s Ross County and Kilmarnock (six ahead of St Johnstone) who are more likely to capitulate. Killie were equally poor a week earlier at Celtic Park. The prospect of making the top flight bigger by adding yet more cannon fodder is not appealing to fans of competitive sport, or TV broadcasters.”

     

     

    Ah the argument for cutting the league size again.

     

    Unfortunately we have beaten 7 of the top flight by 4 or more goals this season and beat another 3 by 3 goals.

     

     

    Shall we just go with a 5 team league? How often would you like us to play each other?

  11. GlassTwoThirdsFull on

    If you like poorer teams, smaller grounds, tighter pitches, artificial surfaces or support Sevco I can see the attraction in a bigger league. Otherwise……

  12. Prestonpans bhoys on

    As long as we don’t end up with that 10 team format again! Do you really want to play Livingston, for example, four times a season, especially as two would be on that bloody carpet 😳

  13. Too many games against poor quality opposition? Sadly that includes pretty much every game in the SPFL!

     

     

    We probably can’t go back to an 18 or even go to a 16 club league, however i doubt that there would be much, if any, difference in quality between the teams who you would expect to be added to the existing top tier sides if the league was expanded to, say, 14 & most of the rest of the current SPFL sides. Clubs like Dunfermline, ICT, Falkirk, Patrick Thistle, Falkirk, Hamilton etc, even if some of these clubs are having difficulties currently, aren’t intrinsically much if any smaller or likely to be less competitive if in the top league than at least 6 of the current SPFL sides.

     

     

     

    I get that 4 games against The Rangers, & ideally the other big, in Scottish terms, clubs such as Aberdeen, the Edinburgh sides & Dundee Utd is probably desirable, but surely a split after every team plays each other home & away could achieve this? If we had a 6-8 split, we’d also reduce the workload domestically for us & other teams involved in Europe, which given the increasing number of European games, would be a good thing I reckon.

     

     

    This system would also increase the number of games for the bottom 8 sides, which should mitigate against any shortfall from losing one home game against either us or Sevco, & also make the one game that the6 have per season against each of the big two a bit more special.

     

     

    I am sceptical that any reconstruction will happen, but if it did I’d welcome it.

  14. Only just catching up , so late in expressing my sadness at the passing of Pope Francis and Father Charlie .

     

    I have two abiding memories of Father Charlie :–

     

    The first is the wonderful service that he delivered in Lisbon on 25/05/17 , a day to remember .

     

    The second is the frequent prayers that he offered up for those suffering souls who came to his attention on CQN .

     

    RIP Pope Francis and Father Charlie .

     

    PS Here’s a OneDrive link to a few photos that I took in Lisbon on the day of the service :-

     

    https://1drv.ms/f/c/8d1ecf979694acad/EoovKcKxXzRCiXnMZ3qRzGkBtQ9iM6EbewXLrF5qutiyJg?e=PVn5Vd

  15. Artificial pitches are set to be banned at the end of season 2025-26.

     

    Kilmarnock are or were planning to return to a grass pitch during the close season.

     

    If Motherwell can do it (produce a decent pitch) why not any club aspiring to play in the top division.

     

    Indeed having a grass pitch should be one (of many) criteria for admission to the SPL.

     

    Paul (NewCo) 67 talks about “developing” footballers but is clueless as to how develop football hence his (and indeed his puppetmaster) they cannot see past the ressurrected Old Firm model.

     

     

    HisMastersVoiceCSC

  16. penang bhoy

     

     

    Think you will find that Hamilton Accies are going to be a long way from the SPL next season, having been relegated after a fifteen point deduction albeit pending an appeal. Agree re the other clubs listed though. And anyways why lose clubs like Dundee or indeed St Johnstone themselves from the SPL. Cui bono?

  17. Hoop hoop Hooray on

    There should be professional criteria for playing in the top league.

     

    We had it before when if you didn’t have all seater stadia you didn’t get in,

     

     

    This should include grass pitches as a must and a minimum capacity. If you can’t meet the criteria you will still survive but you will have to ply your trade in the lower leagues.

  18. No, the criteria was that you had to have a set number of seats available, 6000 I think, hence Falkirk missed out on promotion back in the day. Thankfully we are moving back to standing areas to some extent.

  19. Hoop hoop Hooray on

    A 14 team league that meets set criteria.

     

    Everyone plays home and away.

     

    Then a split into top 6 and bottom 8.

     

    Top 6 play 38 games and bottom 8 40.

     

     

    Everyone has same number of home games as away games. No playing one team 3 times at home or 3 times away.

     

    Extra two games in bottom 8 help compensate for missing out on games against us and tribute act.

  20. garygillespieshamstring on

    Fred Colon @2.17

     

     

    Exceptional standard of footwork and choreography on display there.

     

     

    How things have changed.

     

     

    As adolescents, Pan’s People could be relied upon to have some of us worrying we might go blind.

     

    Now they aren’t good for our hearts.

     

     

    How things have changed.

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