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.

The play off for the championship was always ridiculous. As has been stated, why would you bother with the rigmarole of a league season if fourth place could win the title?

Walter Smith said this then went on to say he thinks it would be a great idea for the 3rd place Euro spot between 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th.

 

If he wasn't being sarcastic he's a total cunt.

There's no doubt about him being a cunt bobo, regardless of what he said. An old, hypocritical, masonic, hun cunt of a cunt.

 

See his shite about "the SPL can't extend the season coz they didn't extend for us in 2008". Except they fucking did you old cunt, how often are the final league games played on a Thursday night? They just wouldn't extend it on your instruction, you FUCKING HUN CUNT.

There's no doubt about him being a cunt bobo, regardless of what he said. An old, hypocritical, masonic, hun cunt of a cunt.

 

See his shite about "the SPL can't extend the season coz they didn't extend for us in 2008". Except they fucking did you old cunt, how often are the final league games played on a Thursday night? They just wouldn't extend it on your instruction, you FUCKING HUN CUNT.

I especially hate all his "it's an uneven playing ground" talk about Europe.

The old firm can fuck off. But I will agree that it would be ludicrous to allow 4 teams playing for the championship. I still think we should be doing as the dutch do..... Have a play off system for Europe (minus the championship winners) and the the second and 3rd bottom placed teams. Far more interesting.

 

I know I was being naive Ajja, but if they could understand/have the foresight to see that reverting to an old model which was broken and tiresome, will only alienate and infuriate the consumer even further. I think deep down as much as we hate it, we all know what they, the money men, are going to do about the situation, despite pressure from the media, clubs, pundits and fans. I can understand why, but at the end of the day, they need to remember that they also rely on us for their "businesses" to keep going.

 

This all goes down to BTR's thread a few months back about caring. We need to start caring and take action for what we want to see in our national game. Debating it is a start.

 

I know I was being naive Ajja, but if they could understand/have the foresight to see that reverting to an old model which was broken and tiresome, will only alienate and infuriate the consumer even further. I think deep down as much as we hate it, we all know what they, the money men, are going to do about the situation, despite pressure from the media, clubs, pundits and fans. I can understand why, but at the end of the day, they need to remember that they also rely on us for their "businesses" to keep going.

 

 

Wasn't my intention to suggest that mate, I always respect your view. I actually agree with you and find it equally as frustrating that business always trumps football.

I just wish the old firm would piss of to England or somewhere.

 

Then we could have a competitive 16 team league playing each other twice

After a few years more would return to the game as there wont be the same monopoly

Also money could be dished out evenly and i am sure the TV money would follow.

 

 

 

btw a league of 10 teams for me is playing each other far to much and it became tired when it was on the go before.

 

 

I think more would be likely to fuck off and support the Old Firm. 

 

Minimum 4 times a season is too much to play any team. Add the possibility of 6 times if ye get them in both cups... or 7 if a match goes to a replay too. It's pish. 

 

To start with maybe but if we insisted on the Scottish league being shown on TV and not so much other leagues it would be more competitive.

To start with we would all think its crap but as new fans get involved they will know nothing else and i am sure it will improve the Scottish game.

Remember they are going to go anyway first chance they get.

 

but knowing the SFA/SFL they would allow the old firm to field reserve teams in the league and once again we would have to bow to the old firm.

 

 

16 team league - 30 league games a season. Not enough. Would need to restructure the league cup alongside that (which I wouldn't be against)

16 team league - 30 league games a season. Not enough. Would need to restructure the league cup alongside that (which I wouldn't be against)

 

Allow for a winter shutdown

 

what's the average amount of games most leagues in Europe play anyway?

It's the decrease in income I was driving at - dropping from 19 (or so) home games a season to 15 isn't feasible.

what is we made the league cup a group format, sort of similar to the europa league?

 

have preliminary rounds for the lower leagues then when the big boys come in, make it a group format for 3 games or something?

To start with maybe but if we insisted on the Scottish league being shown on TV and not so much other leagues it would be more competitive.

To start with we would all think its crap but as new fans get involved they will know nothing else and i am sure it will improve the Scottish game.

 

 

How could you ever possibly make that happen?  That is totally pie in the sky thinking and you're forgetting that at the moment people have the choice to watch these other leagues and they are doing so because, mainly, they like football.  You can't start telling people what they can and can not watch on TV just because our game is shit.  The game in Scotland is crap, having it as the only league available on Scottish TV isn't going to make it any better.

A highlights programme would be decent on a Sat night, is anyone really interested in watching Maniche and so forth discussing fkn Aldershot or whoever? Yes there is a demand for MOTD England but that's it as far as English football goes.

How could you ever possibly make that happen?  That is totally pie in the sky thinking and you're forgetting that at the moment people have the choice to watch these other leagues and they are doing so because, mainly, they like football.  You can't start telling people what they can and can not watch on TV just because our game is shit.  The game in Scotland is crap, having it as the only league available on Scottish TV isn't going to make it any better.

 

They might be watching these other leagues because our own league is not competitive enough with the old firm monopoly.

 

And having it as the only league available on Scottish TV will make it better

ie young kids will be brought up watching Aberdeen, Hearts and Hibs and so on instead of Arsenal and Chelsea etc

and then they will go to games involving the teams they watch putting more money into Scottish football which must make the game better in the long run.

kids are influenced by TV why do you think there are so many rangers/celtic supporters around here that have never been to a game in their life

 

It is a lot less to do with the lack of "competition" than it is to do with a glut of "being shit", the quality of the league is pretty awful just now.

16 team league.

 

Bin the league cup.

 

Introduce a winter shut down after Christmas for 4-6 weeks.

 

Reintroduce the Tennents 6's indoor competition during the shut down.

 

That should do it?

They might be watching these other leagues because our own league is not competitive enough with the old firm monopoly.

 

And having it as the only league available on Scottish TV will make it better

ie young kids will be brought up watching Aberdeen, Hearts and Hibs and so on instead of Arsenal and Chelsea etc

and then they will go to games involving the teams they watch putting more money into Scottish football which must make the game better in the long run.

kids are influenced by TV why do you think there are so many rangers/celtic supporters around here that have never been to a game in their life

 

As I said, Pie in the Sky thinking. People will not all of a sudden find the money to go to the football here just because it's the only league on TV. Over £20 is far too much for that shite. Over £10 is still too much. That's the real problem, not other leagues on TV. 

And you're also defeating your own argument, Celtic and Rangers are in the Scottish League, and kids are supporting them, so are you going to change your argument now so that it's only non-OF teams that should be on TV?

As I said, Pie in the Sky thinking. People will not all of a sudden find the money to go to the football here just because it's the only league on TV. Over £20 is far too much for that shite. Over £10 is still too much. That's the real problem, not other leagues on TV. 

And you're also defeating your own argument, Celtic and Rangers are in the Scottish League, and kids are supporting them, so are you going to change your argument now so that it's only non-OF teams that should be on TV?

 

Out of curiousity, how is it that the Germans pay so little for their football?

Out of curiousity, how is it that the Germans pay so little for their football?

 

It's council funded, they believe that football has an important place in society and it should be affordable for all.  The chances of that happening here are between none and fuck all.

German clubs are also in a lot less debt than most other clubs, and are all owned in part by the fans, so the fans have a say in the price they pay.

As I said, Pie in the Sky thinking. People will not all of a sudden find the money to go to the football here just because it's the only league on TV. Over £20 is far too much for that shite. Over £10 is still too much. That's the real problem, not other leagues on TV. 

And you're also defeating your own argument, Celtic and Rangers are in the Scottish League, and kids are supporting them, so are you going to change your argument now so that it's only non-OF teams that should be on TV?

 

Without the old firm prices might come down and tv money can be distributed evenly instead of the way it is now and we might find our own level (because of the old firm they were all operating above their means)

 

Its a never ending circle with the old firm getting more money so they get better players and are therefore more successful and therefore are on tv more and so attract more fans.

 

Would spain or italy or any other nation allow another league from outwith their own league getting at least 5 times the tv coverage as theirs gets.

 

as someone said before tv and the prices has ruined scottish football ie as you said bobby who is going to pay £20 quid to watch hamilton v st mirren when man utd v chealsea is on the box

I remember there was a rule a few years back that games could not be shown when there were scottish games being played why cant they bring that back.

It's council funded, they believe that football has an important place in society and it should be affordable for all.  The chances of that happening here are between none and fuck all.

 

German clubs are also in a lot less debt than most other clubs, and are all owned in part by the fans, so the fans have a say in the price they pay.

 

You're both right, neither of which would happen in Scotland.

If they go back to a 10 team league I will give up and never go to another game. Fucking pointless, didn't fucking work in '76 (i remember) nae gonna work now. :hammer: :hammer: :hammer:

 

Needs a "senior division 1" of 16 or 18, one "senior division 2" of probably 14. That's 30/32 "senior" teams, probably enough, probably sustainable.

 

Below that, some sort of pyramid structure....Elgin, Peterheid et al may not like it, but split them into HFL, East of Scotland, Souuth of Scotland, and allow the best of the juniors in as well, with some sort of "superleague" between the top 2 from each.

 

Realise we may struggle initially to have 18 competitive teams in the top league, and probably lots of humpings handed out by the of, but make sure it's "untouchable" for a minimum of 7 years. Sponsorship money and TV money split purely on a positional basis (i.e 1st place gets most, 2nd next most etc...) BUT EVERY team in the top 2 leagues gets a guaranteed income of some figure to be set (shortfall to be made up by the government (or the fucking Queen if sport is that important!)).

 

Gradually bring in a wage cap based on AVERAGE turn over of ALL TOP LEAGUE TEAMS (plus maybe allowed one player to be exempt) means the of actually have an interest in the rest of the league being solvent.

 

Dunno how to do it, but we also need to bring down the cost of going to games.

Without the old firm prices might come down and tv money can be distributed evenly instead of the way it is now and we might find our own level (because of the old firm they were all operating above their means)

 

Its a never ending circle with the old firm getting more money so they get better players and are therefore more successful and therefore are on tv more and so attract more fans.

 

Would spain or italy or any other nation allow another league from outwith their own league getting at least 5 times the tv coverage as theirs gets.

 

as someone said before tv and the prices has ruined scottish football ie as you said bobby who is going to pay £20 quid to watch hamilton v st mirren when man utd v chealsea is on the box

I remember there was a rule a few years back that games could not be shown when there were scottish games being played why cant they bring that back.

 

Without the OF the TV deal would be worth even less than it is now, and it's not worth very much as it is.  Why would the prices come down if the OF weren't in the league?  If anything, they'd have to go up due to the short fall in TV money and OF gates while still paying our players under their current contracts.

 

Spain and Italy probably already do that. If you're in Spain on a Saturday afternoon, turn a tv on and you'll get EPL games on live, as well as the Sunday matches we get.  But why do they get good gates? Because for teams like Mallorca or Depor, the gate prices are kept reasonable unless Real or Barca come to play.

 

Should the huns game on Sunday not have been on live as there were other Scottish matches on? There wasn't an English game on at that time.

 

It's really easy to blame other people and it seems to be a trait of Scottish people to look down South all the time.  Our game is ding because of our own mistakes, stop blaming England for Scotland's failings. We shouldn't be comparing the SPL to the EPL and we shouldn't be attempting to take away the choice of what football people watch.  I live next to Firhill and it's £17 to get in. £17 for the Scottish First Division. That is horrendous and it has fuck all to do with what's on TV.  Scottish Football is eating itself and it's our own fault.

You're both right, neither of which would happen in Scotland.

 

Sure I read or heard somewhere that they arent allowed to have any debt if they play in the top division