As far as I'm concerned one of the major problems with Scottish fitba and the main contributor to poor crowds is the declining standard of the product on the park due to teams being too scared to actually try and win games.

 

Too many teams are more concerned with not losing rather than going all out to win. For example, Rangers playing with one up front in league games even at home and St Mirren holding on desperately to their point on saturday by wasting every minute possible. St Mirren have no chance of making the top 6 and no chance of being relegated so what fucking difference will 1 point make to their season now? Could they not have gone and out and tried to entertain their small band of fans?

 

I read a report of the Killie-ICT game that took place this weekend and they were praising the Killie style of play and wondering why it hasnt been evident for the rest of the season- cos Killie can play without the fear of relegation now. There are good players in the SPL but too many are being held back by the constraints of managers whose only concern is not to lose.

 

IMO if the SPL wants the standard to increase they have to try and eliminate the fear factor. The only way I can see this happening is if the league format is changed, with a 16 team league and two relegation/promotion places. Fans are getting more bored by the season and the Self Preservation League needs a good fucking boot up the arse to release the potential that exists.

can't agree fully - an oil rich nation should have had great facilities provided for it's communities for loads of sports and cultural activities.

what've we got - next to fuck all.  And lottery cash that could have gone for sporting activities for kids is being directed to London for the olympics.

Scotland's problem is that we've let ourselves be robbed by westminster for too long.  Although I still think I'd prefer to watch highlights of a multi-billion pound war than scotsport.

 

Eh?

 

I haven't mentioned my views on where the 'oil money' has gone or London-biased funding for sports facilities.

 

 

Agree about the Scotsport bit though.

I think the problem with Scottish Football is that us Scots are quick to blame the English for providing a better product.

 

So what if the quality of football the EPL offers is shite? More credit to them for being able to market this 'shite' football to millions of viewers around the world through TV and thousands of fans in stadia on matchdays - making them a fortune.

 

The problems of Scottish football are entirely that. Scottish problems.

 

I entirely agree with the comments of BTR and glasgowsheep re: the setup of the league and (dis)organisations which govern the sport in Scotland.

My view is the opposite. I'm quick to blame the English for their constant negativity towards Scottish football, there's always a sly dig here and there, and Scottish pundits are just as guilty. It was refreshing to see Mark McGhee on Sultana a few months ago commenting on how surprised he was at the standard of football up here, and that it was much better than he was expecting. Yet another example of someone who had been brainwashed by the constant denigration of our football down south.

 

Yes the EPL is laregly shite, certainly not a patch on La Liga, and fair play to them for bumming it up to be the success it is - I hold no grudge there. So why do they feel the need to have a dig north of the border all the time?

 

When you constantly get beat over the head all the time with how bad your football is by an uninformed TV talking head (when did Paul Merson last watch an SPL game?) it wears down the resistance. No wonder so many just accept it as gospel.

 

We need more Mark McGhees.

 

My view is the opposite. I'm quick to blame the English for their constant negativity towards Scottish football, there's always a sly dig here and there, and Scottish pundits are just as guilty. It was refreshing to see Mark McGhee on Sultana a few months ago commenting on how surprised he was at the standard of football up here, and that it was much better than he was expecting. Yet another example of someone who had been brainwashed by the constant denigration of our football down south.

 

Yes the EPL is laregly shite, certainly not a patch on La Liga, and fair play to them for bumming it up to be the success it is - I hold no grudge there. So why do they feel the need to have a dig north of the border all the time?

When you constantly get beat over the head all the time with how bad your football is by an uninformed TV talking head (when did Paul Merson last watch an SPL game?) it wears down the resistance. No wonder so many just accept it as gospel.

 

We need more Mark McGhees.

 

 

 

All the time? Come on, they don't care about us enough to do it all the time. And Sky certainly bigged up the cup tie versus Celtic.

Maybe you just shouldn't really care what they think about our league? Just because they're a bordering country doesn't mean their opinion counts for any more than anyone elses.

 

I find it highly hypocritical that members of our support will berate JC and the team for producing utter shite over the course of a season then claim that our league is anything else but shite.

 

For fuck sake, which is it?

 

 

 

 

All the time? Come on, they don't care about us enough to do it all the time. And Sky certainly bigged up the cup tie versus Celtic.

Maybe you just shouldn't really care what they think about our league? Just because they're a bordering country doesn't mean their opinion counts for any more than anyone elses.

 

Which takes us full circle bobby. It does count when those views are beamed UK wide. If it was held to within England, then that's their problem, but SKY (who are most culpable) are beamed across the UK, and impressionable youngsters get SPL is rubbish, EPL = greatest league in the world rammed down theor throats.

 

I agree they bigged up the Scottish Cup, but that just goes to show the hypocrisy of them. Charlie Nich in particular is never slow to run down the Scottish game, but put him on fronting a Scottish cup tie, and it's super smashing great.

I think we should be using the Scottish Cup as an example of how open and interesting and exciting our footbll is in marketing terms.  I think it deserves the hype and if more people start to take notice of our football through this competition then that must be to te benefit of Scottish football. Comparared to the near hysteria that the inglish FA  cup generates the SFA should be doing more to encourage similar interest.

I would much rather watch Boro v Bolton than Gretna v St Mirren I'm afraid.

 

I can never get my head round this quote, there are many poor games between teams of similar standard in the EPL, in the same way that there are in the SPL. Take OF games for example and take games between the "big 4" in England. Now would you rather watch them than watch Pompey 7-4 Reading or Motherwell 5-6 Aberdeen. I know these are isolated examples but you can get some brilliant SPL games involving random teams. I'd rather watch any SPL game than watch a Wigan vs Reading game.

 

I don't really see how that is manufactured excitement? It's the last 8 of the biggest club competition in Europe, there would be excitement anyway, wouldn't there?

 

of course it is manufactured excitement, whenever in the past did we have 4 teams from the same country in the last 8 of the european cup. People always go on about the CL and how great it is, I think its crap. There was much grumbling about the 2004 final between Monaco and Porto and how bad it was that 2 such poor teams had reached the final. Bollocks, they beat the teams put in front of them, that is knockout football at its best.

 

If the two best teams in Europe play one another in the European cup, I dont care at what stage its at, 1st round or final, as long as it is a good game. Barca vs Man Utd is as good a Quarter-Final as it is a final.

My view is the opposite. I'm quick to blame the English for their constant negativity towards Scottish football, there's always a sly dig here and there, and Scottish pundits are just as guilty. It was refreshing to see Mark McGhee on Sultana a few months ago commenting on how surprised he was at the standard of football up here, and that it was much better than he was expecting. Yet another example of someone who had been brainwashed by the constant denigration of our football down south.

 

 

 

That is life. The Scots and the English are like jealous cousins and have been having digs at each other for thousands of years. It is up to us Scots to rise above perceived negativity. You can't go around blaming others for your ane piss poor performance.

You can't go around blaming others for your ane piss poor performance.

 

Nail on the head.

People always go on about the CL and how great it is, I think its crap.

  Can't remember the last Champions League game I actually watched.

 

Sums it up........   

  Can't remember the last Champions League game I actually watched.

 

Sums it up........     

 

FOOTBALL IS SHIT.