SCOTTISH football last night stood on the brink of revolution amid fears more than one SPL club is going to the wall.

 

Record Sport understands a move towards the restructuring of the SPL will start as soon as this season's championship and relegation issues have been decided.

 

Concerned chairmen have been holding emergency talks in secret for weeks. Matters are now coming to a head in advance of financial figures being released which will show the catastrophe that's on the way unless the Top Twelve is expanded into an 18-team league.

 

SPL chairmen met at Hampden yesterday as calls mounted for a change of direction and even the SPL chief executive Neil Doncaster has now publicly admitted the split isn't the answer to falling crowds and declining standards.

 

One concerned club spokesman said: "There are balance-sheet figures about to come out which are appalling.

 

"Clubs will go to the wall. unless there's change across the board, and soon.

 

"We can't go on paying salaries that the clubs just can't afford. Income must become relative to clubs' expenditure.

 

"Chairmen have been talking to each other in the background but it would be inappropriate to speak out before the major issues have been settled.

 

"Scottish football needs restructuring because the game is the big picture.

 

"If you sort out the product then the financial picture gets better in time.

 

"It might be sore to begin with, and income might drop by as much as 30 per cent, but if we don't take steps to find our true level then there will be serious consequences."

 

Rangers manager Walter Smith has already stated his preference for an 18-team Premier League, reducing the number of fixtures to 34.

 

That would take away the complaint that the same teams are meeting each other too many times during the season.

 

Support for that change to the current system was growing last night .

 

Formal moves to alter the structure of the SPL and redraw the remainder of the clubs in the Scottish Football League are now only a matter of weeks away.

 

Taken from the Daily Retard so may be utter bollocks, but I certainly hope not.

"Broad support was given to progressing a 10-team Premiership and a 12-team Championship

 

Do we have a throwing up smiley? That statement turned my stomach.

For. Lumping. Fuck's. Sake.

 

How many teams up/down? 1? 2? 1 and a half? Playoff with how many teams from each league? The of to get 99.9% of all moneys?

 

Jee-fucking-sus!

No surprise at all. Very disappointed though. As I've said before ajja, I think its just got to a point where people are sick of seeing the same teams. This will do nothing but accentuate the fans apathy with Scottish football. There needs to be a compromise with the fans demands, at least restructure the way clubs charge for games. If they're going to subject us to this, at least make it cheaper.

 

I'd like to see what was actually agreed in terms of the deal. They've not released much information at all.

Are you seriously suggesting that you will stop attending games simply because of the number of teams in the league.

 

Surely this means more games against competitive sides like Rangers, Celtic, Hearts, Hibs etc and more potential derby matches against the likes of UTD, St J and ICT. Add to that the possibility of a couple of tinktown clubs like Hamilton and Helen sodding the fuck off to a more appropriate league and you have a far better mix of games worth watching do you not. Seems a crazy time to stop going to me.

 

I'm not sure how much correlation there is between these concepts of 'playing the same team too many times' and falling attendances (if that is the issue people feel they don't want to attend as a result of). What we really need are competitive games and I'm sure these are more likely to be delivered by more games against the filth and Edinburgh filth. Than those against Raith, Dunfermline and Falkirk.

 

Agree with all of this.

Pish they can stick it right up where the sun don't shine

Highland league football for me from now on and save some cash as well.

In fact the more i think about it makes me fucking boiling mad -shower of pricks can rot in hell

 

No surprise at all. Very disappointed though. As I've said before ajja, I think its just got to a point where people are sick of seeing the same teams. This will do nothing but accentuate the fans apathy with Scottish football. There needs to be a compromise with the fans demands, at least restructure the way clubs charge for games. If they're going to subject us to this, at least make it cheaper.

 

I'd like to see what was actually agreed in terms of the deal. They've not released much information at all.

 

I'm increasingly not buying that argument. Just think about it for a minute, think about what gets your appetite going for a Dons game ? You are very similar to me in the amount of games you attend and the levels of enjoyment you get from the games. Be honest with yourself about which games you are likely to select to attend. For me its always going to be an away day in Edinburgh or Dundee followed by a possible trip to Pittodrie but there is no way I'm going there for anything other than a top 6 side. You can pile as much 'variety' into the mix as you like but I'm just not convinced that it's what fans actually want.

 

Sure, the odd trip to a new away ground might be a thrill every now and then but the cup takes care of that. The novelty would soon wear off and it certainly doesn't help the coffers as nobody is going to be salivating at the thought of Morton at Pittodrie. I think fans need to really think about what they want to watch week to week. There is a difference between competitive football and variety. As I have said before, I've not been a fan of the 10 team idea but I see the commercial benefit over an expanded league. I have always held the romantic view that an expanded league would deliver a better, more interesting league but increasingly I'm moving to the idea that it would simply be shit until they address the issue of financial parity.

I'm increasingly not buying that argument. Just think about it for a minute, think about what gets your appetite going for a Dons game ? You are very similar to me in the amount of games you attend and the levels of enjoyment you get from the games. Be honest with yourself about which games you are likely to select to attend. For me its always going to be an away day in Edinburgh or Dundee followed by a possible trip to Pittodrie but there is no way I'm going there for anything other than a top 6 side. You can pile as much 'variety' into the mix as you like but I'm just not convinced that it's what fans actually want.

 

Sure, the odd trip to a new away ground might be a thrill every now and then but the cup takes care of that. The novelty would soon wear off and it certainly doesn't help the coffers as nobody is going to be salivating at the thought of Morton at Pittodrie. I think fans need to really think about what they want to watch week to week. There is a difference between competitive football and variety. As I have said before, I've not been a fan of the 10 team idea but I see the commercial benefit over an expanded league. I have always held the romantic view that an expanded league would deliver a better, more interesting league but increasingly I'm moving to the idea that it would simply be shit until they address the issue of financial parity.

 

Fair enough mate, and yes you have me, you know exactly what games I'll attend, however it is not only just that. I just think a bit of change might do the game some good. Four times a season as a minimum is just too many. Something needs to change and it seemed.like this would have been a prime opportunity to do something. At the end of the day, I  imagine it will be the final nail in the coffin for some folk, as they are just too disenchanted with the way the game is run in Scotland.

LOL. Butcher just went off on one about the 10 team SPL. Claiming the SPL don't want ICT as they are too far north.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/scotland/9366087.stm

 

Quality, wasn't just about structure but them having to travel to Motherwell Saturday, Glasgow tonight. He's saying his chairman wasn't consulted and they've basically been rail roaded in to something they don't want.

Just another example of the other 10 getting dicked about to keep the Hun/Timothy happy. Imagine Rangers were forced to go to Inverness mid-week at a weeks notice. Simply would not happen.

Just another example of the other 10 getting dicked about to keep the Hun/Timothy happy. Imagine Rangers were forced to go to Inverness mid-week at a weeks notice. Simply would not happen.

 

I'm sure they said on the radio that they had to help out rangers because they need to catch up games....

The SPL? Yeah, think they were due to play St Mirren last night, but couldn't, due to Scottish Cup replay. So the only logical thing to do was bring an Inverness game forward six weeks at seven days notice. 

 

My sympathy is limited, because someone at Inverness must have agreed to this. But the OF would never be asked in the opposite situation.

I see the Russian league is realigning with the major leagues and tournaments. It also is going to have a split!

Anyone listening to sportsound? The killie chairman is doing very well imo

Anyone listening to sportsound? The killie chairman is doing very well imo

 

What's he saying?

 

They promise to use their undersoil heating?

Main points he has made is that there needs to be financial fair play in the league and that the proposed ten set up is best suited to the OF. 

So he's not for it then?

I don't think the size makes any difference at all.

 

Spreading the cash around more equitably does, maybe then a more expanded league would be ok but I just cannot see why a bigger league is remotely more attractive if the fitba is going to be largely the same mediocre affair, just with more teams playing it in a larger league.

 

Fear factor my arse, shite factor more like. 

Just got round to listening to Butcher's broadside.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/scotland/9366087.stm

 

He's completely spot on IMHO.  Amongst other things he accuses the other clubs (including his own chairman) of being bullied into accepting the 10-team SPL which is exactly what has happened.  Well done Butcher for speaking some sense.

Bullied? Really?

 

The big boys knocked thier play piece and lunch money, seriously, wtf the fuck?

Something's fucking changed for the 10 team SPL to suddenly be back on the cards when there was chairmen falling over themselves a couple of weeks ago to say they wouldn't be voting for it.

Something's fucking changed for the 10 team SPL to suddenly be back on the cards when there was chairmen falling over themselves a couple of weeks ago to say they wouldn't be voting for it.

 

But maybe something has? They realised they simply cannae afford their well meant rhetoric?

 

But bullied? Come on.

 

The same cunts couldn't be bullied when it was Setanta time.

Butcher is right why should the other clubs ponder to the old firm when all the old firm want to do is leave the league anyway.

 

Nothing on the BBC website I can see but the TV news were reporting reconstruction for next season with a SPL1 of 10 teams and a 12 team SPL2.

 

Neil Lennon gave it his backing 

What, starting next season??