Was round at my sisters the other day and my nephews were showing me all the football cards they had been collecting. 

They have been up here for a year or so after moving up from England, and their dad is English and a Sheffield Wed fan so understandably they had mainly EPL cards (and dozens of the things) apart from the youngest lad who I'm glad to say has been getting all the Aberdeen cards off his mates at school.

However when I asked them what cards their mates collected it was pretty much just the EPL cards.  Seemingly few had any interest in the SPL equivalent, to the extent they seemed to give away their Aberdeen cards for f'all to my nephew.

 

They then talked about getting up to watch Match of the Day on a Sunday morning and the Championship highlights later on. 

When are kids meant to see Scottish football on TV these days?  They don't have Setanta and are too young to be staying up until 2245 on a school night.  How are they meant to develop an interest in the game when they can't even watch the game?

 

It's little wonder that there are so many wandering around in Chelsea and ManU tops. 

That and having shrinks visit schools to reverse the effects of Sky brainwashing kids into 'supporting' foreign teams, as that is a huge cancer on Scottish football.

 

Maybe Scottish Football should look at itself, instead of attempting to pass the blame on to anyone or anything, as long as it's not themselves.

Before I was old enough to go to the fitba 'unsupervised' I had to make do with watching the highlights and if I mind right they used to be on on a Sunday late afternoon every week.  It was the hight point of my week getting to see all the goals I had listened to being described on the radio.

 

I don't think that you have to get kids to go to the games to get them hooked on a team I think you need, as someone above pointed out, a family member whether that be the Dad an Uncle or whoever to get the passion instilled in them at a young age. 

 

In my hoose if you wanted to support anyone apart from the Dons then you were free to leave the house and find alternative accommodation - a bit harsh on a six year old but that soon got the message through 

I think that was my main point.

It's all very well if they have family members that are happy to drag them along to games and pass on the support for their team.  My dad certainly made sure I was a dandy but he rarely took me to games.  Without the TV exposure I doubt I would still be going on a regular basis.  My nephews stay in the Glasgow area and you'd expect their mates to be old firm daft but even they seem to be after EPL cards and know more about EPL players and teams compared to the SPL

It truly is a disgrace that the most widely played sport in Scotland isn't shown on television nor is it allowed on just about any square of grass without first having to burn down the 'NO BALL GAMES' sign.

I think that was my main point.

It's all very well if they have family members that are happy to drag them along to games and pass on the support for their team.  My dad certainly made sure I was a dandy but he rarely took me to games.  Without the TV exposure I doubt I would still be going on a regular basis.  My nephews stay in the Glasgow area and you'd expect their mates to be old firm daft but even they seem to be after EPL cards and know more about EPL players and teams compared to the SPL

 

I know more about the EPL players and teams than that of the SPL, in fact I probably know more about La Liga than the SPL.  To be honest, I have no great interest in the SPL outwith Aberdeen.  When me and my mates were younger we'd be able to rhyme off the first team squads of all the teams in the league - mostly because of the football stickers we collected and because you had to take the opportunity to watch any football you could... basically one hour a week covered in Sportscene and Scotsport, so we watched them regardless of which game was on.  And, in those days the featured game didn't necessarily have to involve the Old Firm, in fact, you'd be more likely to see Aberdeen v Hibs on a Saturday night than Falkirk v Celtic for example.

 

I hate to say it, but the SPL is a tinpot league and is viewed as such by Setanta and Sky. The viewing figures, unfortunately, are with Falkirk v Celtic and not Aberdeen v Hibs.  There are only two sellable comodities.  It's the way of the game these days, I'm sad to say and that means it's tough for kids to muster up any enthusiasm for our game. When the only live Scottish match will 90% of the time be a routine win for one of the OF over a not very glamorous SPL side and it costs an arm and a leg to actually go to the games, you can't blame them for switching off.

I know more about the EPL players and teams than that of the SPL, in fact I probably know more about La Liga than the SPL.  To be honest, I have no great interest in the SPL outwith Aberdeen.  When me and my mates were younger we'd be able to rhyme off the first team squads of all the teams in the league - mostly because of the football stickers we collected and because you had to take the opportunity to watch any football you could... basically one hour a week covered in Sportscene and Scotsport, so we watched them regardless of which game was on.  And, in those days the featured game didn't necessarily have to involve the Old Firm, in fact, you'd be more likely to see Aberdeen v Hibs on a Saturday night than Falkirk v Celtic for example.

 

I hate to say it, but the SPL is a tinpot league and is viewed as such by Setanta and Sky. The viewing figures, unfortunately, are with Falkirk v Celtic and not Aberdeen v Hibs.  There are only two sellable comodities.  It's the way of the game these days, I'm sad to say and that means it's tough for kids to muster up any enthusiasm for our game. When the only live Scottish match will 90% of the time be a routine win for one of the OF over a not very glamorous SPL side and it costs an arm and a leg to actually go to the games, you can't blame them for switching off.

quite

I don't suppose we'll ever get back to Sportscene Saturday night and Scotsport on a Sunday afternoon, but unless action is taken surely less and less kids will bothering showing any interest in the Scottish game, they won't pester their dads to take them to games and their dads will save their money for other family activities at the weekend, or indeed on Sky+ instead.

 

Cheap(er) prices for kids would help but these kids aren't suddenly going to show an interest just because it costs dad a few quid less.

quite

I don't suppose we'll ever get back to Sportscene Saturday night and Scotsport on a Sunday afternoon, but unless action is taken surely less and less kids will bothering showing any interest in the Scottish game, they won't pester their dads to take them to games and their dads will save their money for other family activities at the weekend, or indeed on Sky+ instead.

 

Cheap(er) prices for kids would help but these kids aren't suddenly going to show an interest just because it costs dad a few quid less.

 

No, but the Dad's might...

I know more about the EPL players and teams than that of the SPL, in fact I probably know more about La Liga than the SPL.  To be honest, I have no great interest in the SPL outwith Aberdeen.  When me and my mates were younger we'd be able to rhyme off the first team squads of all the teams in the league - mostly because of the football stickers we collected and because you had to take the opportunity to watch any football you could... basically one hour a week covered in Sportscene and Scotsport, so we watched them regardless of which game was on.  And, in those days the featured game didn't necessarily have to involve the Old Firm, in fact, you'd be more likely to see Aberdeen v Hibs on a Saturday night than Falkirk v Celtic for example.

 

I hate to say it, but the SPL is a tinpot league and is viewed as such by Setanta and Sky. The viewing figures, unfortunately, are with Falkirk v Celtic and not Aberdeen v Hibs.  There are only two sellable comodities.  It's the way of the game these days, I'm sad to say and that means it's tough for kids to muster up any enthusiasm for our game. When the only live Scottish match will 90% of the time be a routine win for one of the OF over a not very glamorous SPL side and it costs an arm and a leg to actually go to the games, you can't blame them for switching off.

 

Is the EPL not the same but omit Celtic vs Falkirk and put in Man U vs Bolton? The latter is just as boring and predictable. 

Is the EPL not the same but omit Celtic vs Falkirk and put in Man U vs Bolton? The latter is just as boring and predictable. 

 

I didn't realise that it was only Man Utd matches that were on every week in England. What were the two Sky games on Sunday, Andrew?

I didn't realise that it was only Man Utd matches that were on every week in England. What were the two Sky games on Sunday, Andrew?

 

Eh, ok, is it not the same with Chelsea vs Wigan or Liverpool vs Sunderland aren't these games all monotonous, BobbyBiscuit? I only have four channels so don't have bSkyb and I don't really understand your point.

Eh, ok, is it not the same with Chelsea vs Wigan or Liverpool vs Sunderland aren't these games all monotonous, BobbyBiscuit? I only have four channels so don't have bSkyb and I don't really understand your point.

 

Well maybe they are, but the fact is, the viewing figures would suggest that they're not, no?

Well maybe they are, but the fact is, the viewing figures would suggest that they're not, no?

But has this not always been the case?

I'm sure OF games will always have pulled a bigger TV audience than Aberdeen v Hibs.

The problem now is that live football (or even reasonably timed highlights) is not seen on normal TV.  Furthermore many more folk have Sky than have Setanta, which will further skew the figures.  I'd be worried for Sky and the EPL if, given the crazy levels of investment and publicity in the English top league, they didn't pull larger audiences than SPL games

But has this not always been the case?

I'm sure OF games will always have pulled a bigger TV audience than Aberdeen v Hibs.

The problem now is that live football (or even reasonably timed highlights) is not seen on normal TV.  Furthermore many more folk have Sky than have Setanta, which will further skew the figures.  I'd be worried for Sky and the EPL if, given the crazy levels of investment and publicity in the English top league, they didn't pull larger audiences than SPL games

 

Of course, but the point still stands.  The fact is the SPL is not as marketable, as glamorous as the EPL and that isn't opinion, it's just fact, unfortunately.

 

 

That's a problem. There are probably hundreds if not more that would attend Pittodrie a lot more often if they didn't have their own team commitments to fulfill. It seems to me that it'd make sense to move all kids/amateur team football to Sundays. I certainly know a good few people who'd be at Pittodrie if they weren't playing football.

I see your point but if I wanted to play Sundays i'd play in the Sunday league.