http://www.afc.co.uk/articles/20100420/new-clydesdale-bank-deal-for-spl_2212158_2030185

 

The Scottish Premier League (SPL) today announced an agreement with Clydesdale Bank to extend their title sponsorship of the league until the end of season 2012/13.

 

The deal was approved unanimously at last week's General Meeting of the SPL clubs and the official announcement came last night as the SPL clubs gathered in Glasgow to celebrate at the Clydesdale Bank Premier League Awards.

 

Neil Doncaster, Chief Executive of the SPL, said: "This deal provides a multi-million pound boost to our clubs. It demonstrates Clydesdale Bank's commitment across the league and underlines the success of our partnership.

 

"We look forward to our relationship going from strength to strength in the coming years."

 

Steve Reid, Retail Director Clydesdale Bank, said: "Over the past three years our sponsorship of the Scottish Premier League has delivered a huge range of benefits to our communities, our customers and our employees which is why I'm delighted that an extension to this partnership has been agreed.

 

"I'm equally delighted that at a challenging time for Scottish football we are able to continue our support and investment in the national game and we look forward to working ever more closely with the SPL and their member clubs to the benefit of everyone involved."

Would this prevent the league being restructured before 2013?

I very much doubt it. I think it'll be the SPL that prevents the league being restructed.

Those were my exact thoughts when i saw the thread title. Unless would it be possible for them to have a clause in it whereby the same pot of money would have to be divided amongst any new numbers to ve league? Could explain the estimated revenue loss. Or am i thinking far too logically?

all this talk of a restructured league is a fantasy.

the teams in the SPL won't allow any major changes as they are scared it could affect their income.

the whole league is stagnating. the infirm are never going to alow any change the the league that would threaten their dominance, and the rest seem happy enough to feed off the scraps from their table.

Ach - we may as well just pick a Man Utd or Liverpool to "support" then.

piss off...i'm moaning

 

i just wish they would actually do something to actually improve the league, rather than their income.

Gordon Smith was the same, full of promises about how he was going to change the game and, ultimately, done hee-haw.

Would make sense to make it an 18 team league. I think it would give more income out of playing the old firm once a season at home. More "fans" would turn up

Would make sense to make it an 18 team league. I think it would give more income out of playing the old firm once a season at home. More "fans" would turn up

 

Are you mental?

Are you mental?

Nah still pished from last night

Nah still pished from last night

 

The very best of excuses! 

Are you mental?

 

Possibly.

 

He did have a point though.

 

I'd much rather go to Pittodrie to see us play 17 different teams, then have away days at 17 different grounds than have to do it twice at 4 of them, once at 5 of them and 3 times at another.

I don't think he had a point at all, there's no danger we'd get more money from playing teams like Morton etc instead of 4 old firm games.

I don't think he had a point at all, there's no danger we'd get more money from playing teams like Morton etc instead of 4 old firm games.

 

Nobody really knows either way, and the only way to find out is by doing it.

When the old firm come up 2 times a season the crowds are shit but pay them once and pitoddrie would be packed

When the old firm come up 2 times a season the crowds are shit but pay them once and pitoddrie would be packed

 

For the sake of argument, let's say we play Rangers and Celtic twice each at Pittodrie in a season (back in those halycon days of top 6 football). While Pittodrie may not be packed for those four fixtures, I'd imagine there would be in the region of 16k at each of them, depending of circumstances. Reduce that to one game each against the pair of the cunts, and Pittodrie might get above 20k for each fixture at a push.

 

4 x 16k = 64000 fans in Pittodrie

 

2 x 20k = 40000 fans

 

y' see the problem?

y' see the problem?

 

Yes, we're letting too many Huns in right now.

Try it for one season then do what? Relegate up to 6 clubs in one season when it shows scotland can't support a top league of 18?

Well the SPL is a bloody boring league and having to play the old firm twice or four times aint going to change the standard of pish that is getting thrown the fans way!!

 

Lack of money is the main problem in the league, culminating in poor footballers and poor play (including the OF) and there is no long term cure for that.  T.V. showing SPL games is giving with one hand and taking with the other.

 

I would love to see an 18 or hell 20 team league playing in Scotland, but we just cant do it!! No where near good enough and certainly financially for us, implausable.

 

I would rather get summer football on the cards.  So many abandoned matches during the winter months and the state of the pitches!!!!  I cant say Pittodrie is going to be bathed in sunshine every week but it must be better than sitting watching Aberdeen and Caley in January!!

 

Plus might be able to attract some good loan signings trying to stay fit for Europa/champions league or making the international team.

 

(Expecting more pelters . . . )

Previously i'd have argued, not least because its always freezing in Aberdeen with that North Sea wind.

 

That said I think we'd get increased TV sums as SKY are desperate for a league to cover in profile and that would hopefully attract better players. So I would say give summer football a go in the current structure.

 

I feel the same boredom as most other folk on here but I don't think seeing Morton for example come to Pittodrie to play the same way as Falkirk did last week would make me any more excited about the game. Also there's the extra worry if we only play rangers at ibrox once a year are we ever going to fucking win there.

Scottish football fans are fed up watching their clubs playing each other four times a season, according to a survey of supporters' trusts.

 

More than 1,300 fans from across 31 trusts in Scotland told the Supporters Direct survey that they want the league structure to be overhauled.

 

And 83% of those surveyed said teams should play each other twice a season.

 

"Fans feel disenchanted and disempowered by the current set-up," said Supporters Direct's James Proctor.

 

Of those who took part in the online survey, 13% said they would prefer sides to play each other three times a season and 4% said they were happy with the status quo.

 

Fans are passionate and committed to the game but want to see significant improvement in how it is organised and run

 

Supporters Direct's James Proctor

Five out of every six fans, the three-week survey found, would prefer a pyramid league structure with promotion and relegation below the Scottish Football League.

 

And 90% would also like to see a streamlined administration with one body organising and running the professional game.

 

In addition, 91% of respondents felt that fans were powerless to influence decisions and would like to see greater fan involvement in the running of the game.

 

The findings come ahead of the publication of the Scottish Football Review on Friday, chaired by the former First Minister Henry McLeish, which is expected to call for a major shake-up.

 

Proctor said supporters were keen to improve the game in Scotland, but felt their voices were not being heard.

 

MY SPORT: DEBATE

Give your views on the health of Scottish football 

"With the publication of the Henry McLeish report imminent, the message to football's hierarchy is that fans are passionate and committed to the game but want to see significant improvement in how it is organised and run," he said.

 

"They have also stated powerfully that they want to be involved in those discussions."

 

Among other things, the Scottish Football Review is understood to call for £500m of investment in football facilities and infrastructure, a football academy to nurture top youth talent and professional clubs being properly audited to show how they spend the public money they receive.

 

The first part of the review will be published on Friday.

 

 

Five out of every six fans, the three-week survey found, would prefer a pyramid league structure with promotion and relegation below the Scottish Football League.

 

And 90% would also like to see a streamlined administration with one body organising and running the professional game.

 

They didn't really need to do a survey to find that out.  Shame the SFA and the clubs will block every move to carry out either of these reforms.

They didn't really need to do a survey to find that out.  Shame the SFA and the clubs will block every move to carry out either of these reforms.

 

If this is the repeated case in the future, is there anybody else that can exert pressure on these groups for the good of the future of the game and sport in Sctland in general? Perhaps the Minister of Sport?

I'm not a massive fan of expanding the league, but fuck it, it's time to stop talking about changing the set up and just get on with doing it.

i'd be in favour of a 16 team league, play each other twice. I know that's only 30 games a season but the could revert back to the old League Cup format of groups of 4 for the first round and have them played on Saturdays

i'd be in favour of a 16 team league, play each other twice. I know that's only 30 games a season but the could revert back to the old League Cup format of groups of 4 for the first round and have them played on Saturdays

 

I agree with this 100%

 

I'd also like to see a European place for the winner of the League Cup too.

The Scottish Premier League could be set to increase to 14 clubs from season 2011-12, with relegation play-offs also featuring in the new set-up.

 

A senior Scottish football figure has told BBC Scotland that the current 12-club set-up could be replaced.

 

The new format would see all clubs play each other twice and split after 26 games into a top six and bottom eight.

 

After the split, clubs in the top six and the bottom eight would then play each other twice.

 

This would mean 36 matches for the clubs in the top six, with 40 games being played by those finishing in the bottom eight.

 

At present, the SPL splits into two sections of six after 33 games, with one in the bottom six being automatically relegated, but this season clubs have strongly criticised a system that can see clubs having an imbalance of home and away games.

 

An even bigger SPL, featuring a 16 or 18-club top league, along with a second division for the SPL, is also under discussion.

 

There are a whole lot of things that have to be changed and I want all-round change in many areas of the game rather than just a bigger league set up

 

Dundee United chairman Stephen Thompson

But the 14-club model appears to be the one most likely to be adopted in time for season 2011-2012.

 

A senior Scottish football figure said: "SPL clubs are currently involved in deep consultation and trying to build a consensus on the way forward.

 

"There will be a window of opportunity in the next two or three months for the clubs to announce the changes in the summer so that everyone knows what they are playing for next season.

 

"There is an appreciation of the need for change. What is being discussed at the moment with a 14-club set up would give us a balanced split and we would know the fixtures in advance.

 

"This is not blind optimism. We know the model has got to change. Everyone can see the benefit in refreshing things."

 

Meanwhile, Dundee United chairman Stephen Thompson said that he was open to persuasion on any change to the league structure.

 

"I am neither for or against a 14-club league," he said. "I am open-minded to change.

 

"However, that change has to be about more than just bringing two extra clubs into the league.

 

 

Do you agree with the proposals to reform the Scottish Premier League? 

"There are a whole lot of things that have to be changed and I want all-round change in many areas of the game rather than just a bigger league set-up."

 

Another SPL chairman admitted that, while he favoured an even bigger top league, a 14-club set-up was more likely to find favour with clubs because of financial considerations, with fewer clubs sharing SPL income.

 

Further discussions are ongoing. But, under the new set-up, one club would be automatically relegated from the SPL and one promoted from the First Division.

 

The second bottom SPL club would then be involved in a play off with the clubs finishing second, third and possibly even fourth in the First Division.

 

SPL clubs are due to meet at the end of the season for a strategy day, with various proposals being discussed then.

 

Any change to the current league set-up would, however, require an 11-1 vote in favour from the existing 12 clubs under the SPL constitution.

 

 

 

The bit in bold is an absolute farce. Teams in the same league as each other playing 2 more matches than others in the league?  Just as well Scottish Football isn't seen as a total joke, eh?