http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_prem/7799072.stm

 

I have no problem with a European league - i think it will happen eventually.

But, no way to reserve OF teams in the SPL - and there would have to be promotion and relegation to said european league.

 

As for "Rangers deserve better than the circumstances in Scotland" - where does he even get the basis for that?

They have always been pretty much shit in europe - let's face it - last season we made the knockout of the uefa cup so it's no great shakes to get to the final is it?

 

I think Scottish football without the ugly sisters is the way to go....

 

don't let the door hit you on the way out you bigoted barstewards.

To me, it's got to be one or the other. Either take your fucking cunts of fans, employees and clubs, and enjoy mediocrity in 'the Atlantic League', playing Brondby, AZ Alkmaar, and Club Brugge, or shut the fuck up and continue to poison the rest of Scotland with your presence. No reserve team bullshit.

"Rangers and Celtic are two huge clubs who deserve to be in a better circumstance than they are in in Scotland," said Smith.

what a cunt

Should we all just hand over all TV revenue and gate receipts straight to you along with any promising youngsters we manage to hold onto for more than 2 seconds?  I mean you are so hard done by in the current set up

Go away. To fuck with your reserves as well.

Are these the same huns who are shortening their roster because they can't play all their guys who are being OVERPAID?

 

That's enought self-agrandizing bile for me!

I'd love them to go to play in a league like this and be removed from Scottish football altogether. I'd give it two seasons before the new European league would have secondary press attention and the OF fans were all crying about the lack of proper European football and how much they miss away games as none of them could possibly afford more than a couple every season. Bring it on 

Its funny how they complain about the gulf in wealth between them and other European teams. What about the gulf in wealth between us and them. Is that natural or is it because of the OF continuously strangling us by stealing the other tens best players and measures such as the 5% tax? People in glass houses and all that.

 

Fuck off and don't come back unwashed tinky benefit taking job shy inured glory hunting scumbag weegie cuts xx

What about the homer refs that they wont get in a european league

Fuck off and don't come back unwashed tinky benefit taking job shy inured glory hunting scumbag weegie cuts xx

To me, it's got to be one or the other. Either take your fucking cunts of fans, employees and clubs, and enjoy mediocrity in 'the Atlantic League', playing Brondby, AZ Alkmaar, and Club Brugge, or shut the fuck up and continue to poison the rest of Scotland with your presence. No reserve team bullshit.

 

Here here! Close the door on your way out you bigot cunts. OLD FIRM, GET TO FUCK, OLD FIRM OLD FIRM, GET TO FUCK!

So the state of the huns and tims being pish in Europe has nothing to do with having managers that dont have a clue how to compete in Europe ?  Its everybody elses fault in the SPL that these two contamptable teams cant do better?  F*&(ing hell, if WE can get to the knock out stages in the UEFA cup after years in the wilderness, then SURELY these two should be able to compete better and more regularly at a higher level, them having more cash etc.

 

Smith. Fuck off and die and take your disgusting club and the half breeds that are the other side of the old firm with you.

Here's what Chick Young thinks anyway.....

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/chickyoung/2008/12/there_is_hope_out_there.html

JC in the Daily Retard this morning giving the idea his full support.

 

Infirm are sadly a necessary evil for Scottish football to survive. If they were to leave the league would lose most of its income as tv, radio and other sponsors would no longer have an interest in the also rans. All scottish clubs are struggling to survive as it is. I doubt professional football in Scotland would exist if income was to be cut further.

I have no doubt pro football would continue in Scotland. 18,000 people at Pittodrie last week would agree with me. I do think the the Scottish game would have to change to survive though.

 

Were they even to pull out the Santa TV money could be suplemented with a sensible way of distributing European TV money because at least one of our "also-rans" would play in the Champions league.

 

Fuck them, It would at least be interesting to see what happened without them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

JC in the Daily Retard this morning giving the idea his full support.

 

Infirm are sadly a necessary evil for Scottish football to survive. If they were to leave the league would lose most of its income as tv, radio and other sponsors would no longer have an interest in the also rans. All scottish clubs are struggling to survive as it is. I doubt professional football in Scotland would exist if income was to be cut further.

 

Just utter nonsense. I think Scottish football CANNOT SURVIVE with the old firm. The dominance, the 5% tax which will go up every year... they are killing the game.

 

Scottish sponsors would still want to sponsor the scottish product. They might not pay quite the same, but they would still support it.

Combined with a far more competitive league just about every team in the league having a shout for the title - crowds would go up - and with crowds follows media interest.

 

I think the infirm would be cap in hand to the SPL a few years after their quaint little league went tits up.

Then we would be in a position to veto all this old firm bias in the power structure.

 

 

Just utter nonsense. I think Scottish football CANNOT SURVIVE with the old firm. The dominance, the 5% tax which will go up every year... they are killing the game.

 

Scottish sponsors would still want to sponsor the scottish product. They might not pay quite the same, but they would still support it.

Combined with a far more competitive league just about every team in the league having a shout for the title - crowds would go up - and with crowds follows media interest.

 

I think the infirm would be cap in hand to the SPL a few years after their quaint little league went tits up.

Then we would be in a position to veto all this old firm bias in the power structure.

 

 

 

 

That's being very idealistic. Don't think it would quite turn out like that.  Would be good though.

Just utter nonsense. I think Scottish football CANNOT SURVIVE with the old firm. The dominance, the 5% tax which will go up every year... they are killing the game.

 

Scottish sponsors would still want to sponsor the scottish product. They might not pay quite the same, but they would still support it.

Combined with a far more competitive league just about every team in the league having a shout for the title - crowds would go up - and with crowds follows media interest.

 

I think the infirm would be cap in hand to the SPL a few years after their quaint little league went tits up.

Then we would be in a position to veto all this old firm bias in the power structure.

 

 

 

Extremely idealistic.  Because of the way the game is these days, we need TV money, and simply, without the OF the cash would be a pittance.  It may well make the league more competitive, but the standard would drop even lower than it is now because attracting players to a league where there are no "big" teams to play against would become very, very hard.  The knock on effect of that is that sponsorship money would be down as the audience is reduced.  One team would get CL football, how long would that last though as no doubt whoever was in the CL would get royally pumped, meaning the co-efficient plummets and eventually the league champions would no longer get automatic qualification.

 

They are an odious shower, no doubt.  But there's nothing better in football than beating them. I'd miss that if they left.

Extremely idealistic.  Because of the way the game is these days, we need TV money, and simply, without the OF the cash would be a pittance.  It may well make the league more competitive, but the standard would drop even lower than it is now because attracting players to a league where there are no "big" teams to play against would become very, very hard.  The knock on effect of that is that sponsorship money would be down as the audience is reduced.  One team would get CL football, how long would that last though as no doubt whoever was in the CL would get royally pumped, meaning the co-efficient plummets and eventually the league champions would no longer get automatic qualification.

 

They are an odious shower, no doubt.  But there's nothing better in football than beating them. I'd miss that if they left.

 

Indeed, I'd fear Scottish football declining to a standard similar to the Welsh/Irish leagues without the OF, odious as their presence is.

Is it a fair comparison to make between us and the Irish/Welsh?  Surely football is more of a minority sport behind rugby in Wales and some of the gaelic sports in Ireland?  At the very least they are competing more evenly for a supporting base down there with these other sports?

 

And if the ugly sisters wre always competing in Europe then maybe the support for more local teams will actually increase as folk are unable to go and suppport these two when they play away?

For me, the thing to consider here is the balance between money going into football and money being taken out. It just doesn't add up.

 

I'd be surprised if the TV money being thrown around these days lasts much longer to be honest. Media companies are not insulated from the global economic changes that are taking place. The huge resources that are being pumped into football are not sustainable in my opinion. There will be a major awakening for most major leagues in Europe coming within the next 3-5 years. Following that will be a sizemic shift in wages for players and the footballing landscape will be very very different.

 

The Scottish league doesn't bring in enormous resource from TV anyway so will have a lot less distance to fall. We will inevitably find ourselves more lightly resourced but I'm not convinced that the OF are singlehandedly responsible for drawing that resource. I believe a more competitive league with a genuine success at the end of it that most clubs could realistically attain would see an enlivened SPL at least. Going to games reasonably regularly, I would say that I have grown used to (and probably enjoy more) the atmosphere at a game with between 6,000 and 15,000. The days out where you 'mingle' with 50,000 OF fans are ones I avoid and do not miss at all.

 

I agree our league would have less international recognition and respect and would therefor slip off the world stage to an extent but are we not going that way anyway ? I'm not terribly interested in being considered a super-power in footballing terms if the cost of this is an oligopoly of the countries major trophy season after season. I'd honestly rather watch Aberdeen in a slightly less quality footballing environment with the chance to see us win titles and genuinely competing at the top of the game.

Thing is tho, the ones that are saying that our league isnt cometitve are the ones that are actually creating the myth that Scottish football is an inferior product.  These being the igorant, single minded arseholes in the glasgow media in particular but the Scottish press in general.  Last weekend is a perfect example.  A poor hun siude lost to an average tim side, the game wasnt particulaly a good game of football to watch, much poor play, missed passes etc and in general a lot of hype.  Whearas, Aberdeen V Hearts, everything to play for, two teams trying to play football, both in form and fighting for the Euro spots, with the biggest crowd BY FAR out with the OF game.  Did it get decent coverage in the Sunday papers? DId it fuck.  Barely a mention in the hunday mail, lots and lots about the non event infirm match tho, and as for the Scotland on Sunday, 'kin hell. A Seven page pull out.  Why? Agian with the usual substandard passing mention about our game.

 

 

Until the press in this country get a grip and start covering the rest of the league in a more positive light, our game will always be viewed as falsley inferior.

 

Thing is tho, the ones that are saying that our league isnt cometitve are the ones that are actually creating the myth that Scottish football is an inferior product.  These being the igorant, single minded arseholes in the glasgow media in particular but the Scottish press in general.  Last weekend is a perfect example.  A poor hun siude lost to an average tim side, the game wasnt particulaly a good game of football to watch, much poor play, missed passes etc and in general a lot of hype.   Whearas, Aberdeen V Hearts, everything to play for, two teams trying to play football, both in form and fighting for the Euro spots, with the biggest crowd BY FAR out with the OF game.  Did it get decent coverage in the Sunday papers? DId it fuck.  Barely a mention in the hunday mail, lots and lots about the non event infirm match tho, and as for the Scotland on Sunday, 'kin hell. A Seven page pull out.  Why? Agian with the usual substandard passing mention about our game.

 

 

Until the press in this country get a grip and start covering the rest of the league in a more positive light, our game will always be viewed as falsley inferior.

 

To be fair mate they've said fuck all really about the actual MATCH. More the rammy that happened afterwards.

Extremely idealistic.  Because of the way the game is these days, we need TV money, and simply, without the OF the cash would be a pittance.  It may well make the league more competitive, but the standard would drop even lower than it is now because attracting players to a league where there are no "big" teams to play against would become very, very hard.  The knock on effect of that is that sponsorship money would be down as the audience is reduced.  One team would get CL football, how long would that last though as no doubt whoever was in the CL would get royally pumped, meaning the co-efficient plummets and eventually the league champions would no longer get automatic qualification.

 

They are an odious shower, no doubt.  But there's nothing better in football than beating them. I'd miss that if they left.

 

Extremely naive - the next round of cash for rights will be a pittance - so looks like we are doomed anyway!

I'd honestly rather watch Aberdeen in a slightly less quality footballing environment with the chance to see us win titles and genuinely competing at the top of the game.

 

+1

Thing is tho, the ones that are saying that our league isnt cometitve are the ones that are actually creating the myth that Scottish football is an inferior product.  These being the igorant, single minded arseholes in the glasgow media in particular but the Scottish press in general.  Last weekend is a perfect example.  A poor hun siude lost to an average tim side, the game wasnt particulaly a good game of football to watch, much poor play, missed passes etc and in general a lot of hype.   Whearas, Aberdeen V Hearts, everything to play for, two teams trying to play football, both in form and fighting for the Euro spots, with the biggest crowd BY FAR out with the OF game.  Did it get decent coverage in the Sunday papers? DId it fuck.  Barely a mention in the hunday mail, lots and lots about the non event infirm match tho, and as for the Scotland on Sunday, 'kin hell. A Seven page pull out.  Why? Agian with the usual substandard passing mention about our game.

 

 

Until the press in this country get a grip and start covering the rest of the league in a more positive light, our game will always be viewed as falsley inferior.

 

 

Thing is this sub standard coverage would be even worse if old firm were in a Euro league. There would be even more more coverage of tims/huns v Ajax or Feyenord and even less coverage of our league. Less media interest would mean less interest from sponsors so less money again. Clubs are struggling to survive as it is so any further cut in income would probably mean the end of full time football in Scotland and if the league was to go semi pro then even the half decent players would then be off down to England so standard would drop further.

 

 

Thing is this sub standard coverage would be even worse if old firm were in a Euro league. There would be even more more coverage of tims/huns v Ajax or Feyenord and even less coverage of our league. Less media interest would mean less interest from sponsors so less money again. Clubs are struggling to survive as it is so any further cut in income would probably mean the end of full time football in Scotland and if the league was to go semi pro then even the half decent players would then be off down to England so standard would drop further.

 

 

 

While I agree this is a possibility its not necessarily the case that this would happen automatically. There are other forces that operate in the Scottish game beyond Glasgow.

 

Its also possible that you would have a media which became less interested in the OF competing with fairly pedestrian European sides in a pretty one dimensional league set up. This might actually lead to more focus, interest and resource being put on the more cut throat SPL that would emerge. For fans, following the OF would become very expensive and being a fan of either would provide very little in the way of connectivity with the rest of the Scottish footballing public. Despite what they say, OF fans love being top dogs in Scotland and their fans love the bragging rights, however 'uncompetitive' our game is. This might lead to less youngsters showing interest in teams who they can't quite connect with and choosing to support a local team in a league where honours could be won.

 

It may be a little naive to think so but I don't think our game would die in the way you suggest.