The Future Of Scottish Football

[madjockmcferson]

Ok,

 

I don't for a minute think any of this will happen so it is more of a thought experiment.

 

I'm 33 and I've witnessed the gradual decline in the competitiveness and quality of the game in Scotland. This isn't just because Aberdeen have been sh*te, its because no team outside the OF has won the league for 25 years, and no team outside the OF has gotten into the latter stages of a European competition and our national team sucks balls.

 

So, would any of these measure help?

 

1) Introduce a playoff. One of the great things about American sports is any team has a chance to win the top prize. It keeps interest going for the whole year and as a consequence it is entertaining. What do people think about the top 4 teams playing off against each other?

 

2) This is effectively downsizing our league. The OF contribute a lot of money to teams and losing them would be a huge loss for revenue. But perhaps this is what needs to happen : it would lead to the downsizing of our game but it would increase competition and keep the interest up.

 

3) I am against increasing the league to 16 because I don't believe those teams are any good. I have very little interest in going to East Fife on a wintry Wednesday evening. However, spreading the love : would it help?

 

4) Keep it as it is....which as far as i can see is a slow death

 

5) Money appears to be at the heart of everything which is wrong in the SPHell - would an equal split of the money help?

 

Anyhows, I don't for a minute think any of this will happen, but I do think a play off would be very interesting and I think an equal distribution of money might help.

[Pudgie]

You ca' spik. You da go to the games

 

Seriously though, I think the playoffs are a great idea. All for the greater good and if all teams had sense then that would be the way/one of the ways forward for the whole of Scotland.

[scoutman70]

Play-offs are an interesting one.

 

My take on it as a slightly different system from the conventional ones.

 

SPL - 1st is 1st, 2nd-5th in a playoff. This provides an incentive for the OF to win and shut them up a bit. 2nd is no achievement for them, yet still gets rewarded. This would ensure they both push for 1st. Also gives other teams a chance to finish higher and get into european competitions. Definitely think there should be a play-off at the bottom of the spl/top of 1st as well.

 

Finally I don't know how it'd work but I'd like to see a pyramid system at the bottom. The winners of the highland league, east of scotland league etc have a play-off with the winner them playing bottom of 3rd division, or similar.

[ollie1903]

Get rid of the old firm.

 

A more competative league, increased level of competativeness, will lead to more teams trying to win compared to not trying to lose and I don't care if I don't see a single second of it live on TV.

[Red Loon]

Get rid of the old firm.

 

A more competative league, increased level of competitiveness, will lead to more teams trying to win compared to not trying to lose and I don't care if I don't see a single second of it live on TV.

 

 

wot he said

[madjockmcferson]

I think a play-off is way more likely than the OF leaving. I think it would genuinely improve competitiveness. I also agree with a previous poster. I would let the team which finished 1st win the league, then have playoffs for 2nd.

[Coopy100]

I think a play-off is way more likely than the OF leaving. I think it would genuinely improve competitiveness. I also agree with a previous poster. I would let the team which finished 1st win the league, then have playoffs for 2nd.

I think the dutch do this for some of their european spots.

[ollie1903]

I think a play-off is way more likely than the OF leaving. I think it would genuinely improve competitiveness. I also agree with a previous poster. I would let the team which finished 1st win the league, then have playoffs for 2nd.

Sky will dictate when the OF leave. 5 years, 10 years, who knows, but it WILL happen

[madjockmcferson]

Sky will dictate when the OF leave. 5 years, 10 years, who knows, but it WILL happen

 

Why do you think it will happen? Euro Super League?

[ollie1903]

Why do you think it will happen? Euro Super League?

Because money will talk. When the Eepeeell well runs dry Sky will use them, and their global name, in all contract renegotiations and it will be eat old firm sh*t or bust. just my opinion of course

[fatshaft]

1, 2 & 5. You needed to allow multiple choice here jock me laddo.

 

but as 1 & 2 will never happen, then let's be revolutionary, and distribute all TV money equally to all teams. If the OF are not happy, then allow them to opt out of being shown on telly, simple eh?

[ericblack4boss]

Until Scottish football has a rethink of the greed that is infesting our game NOTHING wil change. the SPl is only concerned in making as much money as it can. competitiveness, fairness, forward thinking, respect ,value for money all are alien to the shower of c**ts that have been allowed to ride rough shod over our game for much too long

[fatshaft]

Until Scottish football has a rethink of the greed that is infesting our game NOTHING wil change. the SPl is only concerned in making as much money as it can. competitiveness, fairness, forward thinking, respect ,value for money all are alien to the shower of c**ts that have been allowed to ride rough shod over our game for much too long

So, just like FIFA, UEFA, the EPL, and La Liga?

 

Football is corrupt as f**k, and since SKY came along, then the 'champions' league, it has only got worse. Football is f**ked until all this sh*te implodes, then we might have a small chance at getting our game back.

[Coopy100]

1, 2 & 5. You needed to allow multiple choice here jock me laddo.

 

but as 1 & 2 will never happen, then let's be revolutionary, and distribute all TV money equally to all teams. If the OF are not happy, then allow them to opt out of being shown on telly, simple eh?

As much as I would love the old firm to be left out of TV one prominent tv exec described the lure of scottish fitba on tv as thus:

The Old firm games

Games featuring either side of the old firm

Games that feature the other teams

 

We simply do not have a product worth televising without them sadly.

[ollie1903]

As much as I would love the old firm to be left out of TV one prominent tv exec described the lure of scottish fitba on tv as thus:

The Old firm games

Games featuring either side of the old firm

Games that feature the other teams

 

We simply do not have a product worth televising without them sadly.

Then don't televise it. A wee highlights package on Saturday night would suffice. It may just encourage people to get to the game. Especially if it is more affordable.

[zander]

A play off is an ideal scenario, one of the c**ts will win it 3/4 quarters of the time but at least 1 year we will get somebody else having a crack at it, but feel the OFA will reject this to keep the OF sweet.

 

To get crowds in Scottish clubs need to be targeting the next generation of fans make it compulsory for clubs to make so many cheap/free kids tickets available, not exactly hard too seeing as only game that sells out are 4 a year and thats Rangers vs Celtic.

[fatshaft]

Then don't televise it. A wee highlights package on Saturday night would suffice. It may just encourage people to get to the game. Especially if it is more affordable.

Losing TV altogether would simply drive more fans towards the most over-rated league in the world, and an increase in Man Utd/Cheatski/Arsehole/Lolerpool shirts walking down Union Street.

[fatshaft]

A play off is an ideal scenario, one of the c**ts will win it 3/4 quarters of the time but at least 1 year we will get somebody else having a crack at it, but feel the OFA will reject this to keep the OF sweet.

It'll never float past the OF which is the issue. Wally laughed at it when it was broached by Dundee Utd (was it?) in December as a solution to reconstruction.

 

It would be revolutionary for football, but introducing a play off system revolutionised the NFL, and made Rugby League competitive, so why not.

[Betty Swallicks]

If the o.f. were to go it has to be because we (the other clubs) want them out not that they are off to another league that suits them.

 

Scottish fitba is a joke in the eyes of most due to it being a 2 horse race. If we show that its because of these two that our league is shyte and we want them out SKY etc might be more interested.

 

If the o.f. f**k off to england, northern europe or the moon it has to be because we're had enough and banished them.

[zander]

It'll never float past the OF which is the issue. Wally laughed at it when it was broached by Dundee Utd (was it?) in December as a solution to reconstruction.

 

It would be revolutionary for football, but introducing a play off system revolutionised the NFL, and made Rugby League competitive, so why not.

 

 

Aye that c**t Thomson tried to say league winner should be decided on play off I think for a league deciding the winner is a bit ridiculous, but as for 2nd-5th then aye.

 

The Dutch do a play off from 2nd-5th for the last champions league spot.

[cammy-1995-dons]

i can only see this 10 team league work with a play off for league to make it more exciting

[Bluto10]

is TV/advertising/etc money distributed evenly?

[if not, it should be].

 

 

personally i'd like to clubs merge.

scotland doesnt have many people and cant support 40 odd national teams.

heck even two in dundee is stretching it.

 

1 team in fife.

perth.

maybe even dundee also.

aberdeen

2 in glasgow

2 in edinburgh

ICT and ross county merge.

killie, ayr and that rubbish merge.

 

 

i dont want so much a regional setup more smaller unabitious clubs merging and pooling resources.

there shouldnt be teams who can barely get a few thousand fans to a game in the top level of football

[madjockmcferson]

is TV/advertising/etc money distributed evenly?

[if not, it should be].

 

 

personally i'd like to clubs merge.

scotland doesnt have many people and cant support 40 odd national teams.

heck even two in dundee is stretching it.

 

1 team in fife.

perth.

maybe even dundee also.

aberdeen

2 in glasgow

2 in edinburgh

ICT and ross county merge.

killie, ayr and that rubbish merge.

 

 

i dont want so much a regional setup more smaller unabitious clubs merging and pooling resources.

there shouldnt be teams who can barely get a few thousand fans to a game in the top level of football

 

This is what I'd like to happen too. In addition to play-offs I'd like a franchise system. Too many teams in Scotland.

[ollie1903]

Losing TV altogether would simply drive more fans towards the most over-rated league in the world, and an increase in Man Utd/Cheatski/Arsehole/Lolerpool shirts walking down Union Street.

Then it's down to the clubs, and us as parents to do everything we can to make a matchday experience as cheap and attractive as possible to encourage fans through the door. If the kids enjoy it, they will go back.

[fatshaft]

Then it's down to the clubs, and us as parents to do everything we can to make a matchday experience as cheap and attractive as possible to encourage fans through the door. If the kids enjoy it, they will go back.

That's all very well ollie, but there's a reason that TV advertising is the most expensive, because it's simply the most effective. If you take the SPL off the TV, you lose a helluva lot of potential customers.

[ollie1903]

That's all very well ollie, but there's a reason that TV advertising is the most expensive, because it's simply the most effective. If you take the SPL off the TV, you lose a helluva lot of potential customers.

In what way? How did we manage to have crowds in the past?

[King Street Loon]

That TV years programme on Friday night said attendances were on the decline in 86.

Nowt to do with tv coverage as there was no significant tv deal back then. Purely the product was on the decline and a poor Celtic & Rangers were struggling to overcome us.

[Oklahoma 1903]

That TV years programme on Friday night said attendances were on the decline in 86.

Nowt to do with tv coverage as there was no significant tv deal back then. Purely the product was on the decline and a poor Celtic & Rangers were struggling to overcome us.

 

If you count 79-80 as the 80's the Aberdeen won the league 3 times in the 80's same as Rangers with Celtic winning it 4 times.

 

 

Were the OF struggling that much?

 

 

[madjockmcferson]

We sold out more in the 80s than we do now but i think a lot of people exaggerate how big the crowds were. Despite our success Todders wasn't as full as some people think.

[Jute]

For me the way forward is to start with having one governing body for all football in Scotland and pryamid system that allows teams to find their level. All TV money should be distributed between all teams through out the game. We need to improve football at the lower levels as well as top league.