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.

18 team league. 34 games each. 1 goes down. 1 comes up. Champions of 1st division come up. 2nd placed 1st division team please 17th placed SPL team in a two legged play-off with a place in the SPL on the line.

 

If the number of games (which would now be less) is a problem go back to the old group stage formula that the league cup had.

 

Done.

 

34 games would be the same as the Bundesliga so no problems there.

Nah. We'll pixelate it.

With 18 teams I'd have two down, with play off for 3rd bottom versus 3rd top in Division 1.

I don't think an 18 team league should only have 1 guaranteed relegation/promotion.  I do favour 18 teams though (or 16).

With 18 teams I'd have two down, with play off for 3rd bottom versus 3rd top in Division 1.

I don't think an 18 team league should only have 1 guaranteed relegation/promotion. I do favour 18 teams though (or 16).

 

Bundesliga.

I think we should ditch the split and keep it a 12-team league. We should have one auto-relegation spot and one relegation-playoff spot.

 

We should also start up a championship playoff scheme whereby the top FOUR teams play a round-robin knockout mini-tournament at the end of the season ... with the final match of the season being at Hampden, and this match ultimately deciding who wins the league, regardless of how many points split the top team from the 2nd-placed team.

 

Something has to be done to try to break up the duopoly the Old Firm has on this league.

 

I like that idea, like a 'finals period'. It is probably less fair as any team going through a strong patch at the end of the season could win the whole league, but I think it would generate excitement and would be the only thing likely to allow a team outside the OF from winning the league.

 

I quite like what they do in the AFL at the end of the season. Top eight teams all go to finals, top four have a 'double chance' to reward them for being good during the season and the top two get guaranteed home games. Attendance at the Grand Final in the AFL is year on year one of the highest sporting attendances in the world. Whilst the SPL wouldn't generate that much excitement I think it would help, and crowds for the last few games would probably be good and it would be exciting to support a team trying to get into the top four play-offs, instead of just Europa League qualification. Unlikely to ever happen but personally I like the idea.

18 team league, 3 up/down

 

18 team lower league, drop the dross now, and any team finishing bottom has to play off champs from Highland, EoS, Juniors, whoever, in a playoff.

 

And stuff Europe for 10 years, introduce a salary cap and a requirement for at least 75% Scots in every top-league squad.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh and world peace, no taxes, I'd like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony....just as likely

This constant talk of league restructuring frustrates me. (And anyone who would want to invest in our league in all likelihood).

 

Anyway, why does it take financial meltdown in the league for the blazers to realise that our football is in a terrible state. The constant pandering to the ugly sisters over the years has brought this league to its knees. In order to survive THEY need a competitive league. We are now faced  with a sport so predictable no one wants to spend money to watch it.

 

The infirm behave like parasites, soaking up any good from the rest of the league, whether its players, tv revenue or influence, and now there is nothing left they still want to jump host to the epl or wherever.  (Mark my words, if this talk about restructuring has surfaced, i expect more paper talk about rantic's enthusiasm for an atlantic league again).

 

We need to learn from the likes of the Bundesliga, very, very quickly other wise in ten years time there may be nothing left of this competition. The governing bodies have been told and warned many, many times now from a variety of sources what needs to be done.  The blazers now have to earn thier wage, grow a pair and change this sport from top to bottom for the benefit of the future.

There's little "restucturing" can do to make much of a difference to the state of fitba. It's very poor.

 

But the hope would be that this particular period of austerity would mean teams would become more focussed on finding and nurturing their own talent. I expect the infirm to continue to buy when they can afford to.

 

Irrespective of 10, 12, 16, 18 or 22 teams in a league, outside of the top 5 or 6 the quality drops like a fucking dart, different shades of shite and no amount of play offs, splits or any such other bollocks will do much to that any time soon. Clubs will vote for what suits them in the here and now, none more so than the infirm. It's a poor product that can only struggle to attract both investment and good players.

Why not ban "imported" players?

 

 

Oh, aye, the weegie-two wouldna accept it!

 

 

And it's probably ill-eagle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why not ban "imported" players?

 

 

Oh, aye, the weegie-two wouldna accept it!

 

 

And it's probably ill-eagle

 

Do you really think Aberdeen would want to accept it?

Do you really think Aberdeen would want to accept it?

 

I certainly wouldn't accept it.

I certainly wouldn't accept it.

 

I'd hate to think we ever would have... imagine no Theo Snelders or Hans Gillhaus in the Dons past?  Not good.

Yeah, but withoout scouring lower league Scotland we'd have had no Harper, Miller, Buchan, MacKay, McLeish, Graham, McMaster, Clark.....etc.

 

Where are we now? Scouting shite in the lower reaches of england!

 

Progress, my arse

Aye but are we progressing by playing our own? Communism doesn't work. Scottish football is pish, end of. Its no one's fault but our own.

Yeah, but withoout scouring lower league Scotland we'd have had no Harper, Miller, Buchan, MacKay, McLeish, Graham, McMaster, Clark.....etc.

 

Where are we now? Scouting shite in the lower reaches of england!

 

Progress, my arse

 

So who do you suggest we sign then?

I am obviously either too damn obtuse or too damn thick to make my point.

Yeah, but withoout scouring lower league Scotland we'd have had no Harper, Miller, Buchan, MacKay, McLeish, Graham, McMaster, Clark.....etc.

 

Where are we now? Scouting shite in the lower reaches of england!

 

Progress, my arse

 

Jesus fuck. do you ever stop?

 

Where is the next Willie Miller coming from? Scotland?

 

Are you for real? (sic)

 

The talent in Scotland has dried up, have you not noticed?  Or are Ricky Foster, Mackie, C Clark, Scott Muirhead and Scott Morrison just hiding their ability really, really well?

Maybe given a shot in a league not full of foreign has-beens/wanna be's we'd see some Scottish talent emerge?

 

And, no I'll never stop!

Maybe given a shot in a league not full of foreign has-beens/wanna be's we'd see some Scottish talent emerge?

 

And, no I'll never stop!

 

Never think the reason we get foreigners is because the talent is no longer here?

Ah.

 

So the 12 or so kids I have taught in the far north of Scotland, that are now with league clubs are a myth? I imagined them all?

 

And no, I didn't teach them how to play, I taught them how to count.

 

And that's from just one school. How many others are out there?

Ah.

 

So the 12 or so kids I have taught in the far north of Scotland, that are now with league clubs are a myth? I imagined them all?

 

And no, I didn't teach them how to play, I taught them how to count.

 

And that's from just one school. How many others are out there?

 

And how many of them will make it?

 

I was talking to a guy the other night who has a son playing for Aberdeen Pro Youth down here in Glasgow, he's under 13s.  He is coached by Peter Weir and they train with the 14s and 15s.  Know how many players they reckon will make it out of 60 lads?

 

six.

 

That's how tough it is.  Good luck to the lads you taught, but the fact they're there now doesn't mean they'll be of desired quality come the appropriate time.  If you've watched any Scottish Football in the last ten years how have you not noticed that the youngsters aren't as good any more, and these are the pick of the crop we're seeing?

 

We've not seen anyone as good as Scott Booth or Eoin Jess never mind a Miller or Buchan.

whats wrong with the oher 54?

 

 

 

Not tall/big enough?

whats wrong with the oher 54?

 

 

 

Not tall/big enough?

 

Bloody weegies aint they 

whats wrong with the oher 54?

 

 

 

Not tall/big enough?

 

Messi, Inzaghi, di Maria, Xavi, Iniesta (diving git), Joe Cole, Ozil, the liist goes on.  None of them are exactly modern day Goliaths.

Where are we now? Scouting shite in the lower reaches of england!

 

Progress, my arse

 

The shite we have brought in is to complement our very young team/squad of promising players.

 

Not progress?