scottish fitba'

[ampersand]

radical shake up

maybe i'm not getting this. but does this mean that the year this comes in, that second division winners will get naff all? they will just remain in the second division regional? along with some relegated from the current 1st division?

[Paul ™]

Hopefully they push it through to start next season coming then

[ampersand]

Hopefully they push it through to start next season coming then

[rexclark]

I think we do need league reconstruction but I don't know if a ten team top league is the way forward. To be honest i don't really know what they should do but they do need to do something.

[ampersand]

I think we do need league reconstruction but I don't know if a ten team top league is the way forward. To be honest i don't really know what they should do but they do need to do something.

[parTy animal]

I doubt very much that the SPL will get their 11-1 vote in favour of the proposed new set up as it effectively means 3 curret SPL teams will end up in the Div 1/ SPL2. In fact the only teams to benifit from the proposed changes are the bigot brothers Early start to the season to help European form, more time for big money friendlies in USA/ Asia, winter break to avoid schedule build up plus 4 OF games a season... they'll be counting the money already!!

I hope the SPL clubs outwith the OF see sense and throw this pile of pish out onto the Scottish football scrapheap and come up with something different that benifits all clubs and not just the gruesome twosome

[Kowalski]

Fans are sick fed up playing the same teams 4 times a season, and I've no doubt the players are too. Its a stale set up, badly needing shaken up.

Reducing the number of teams in the league is not what is needed. A league of 16 or 18 for me.

[rexclark]

I have to agree, a bigger league is what's needed, not a smaller one. If the ugly sisters aren't happy then let them set up their own league and play eachother week in week out.

[parTy animal]

Honestly, I'd like to see 3 leagues with 16 teams in each, 1 or 2 automatic promotion/ relegation places and a play off system. Have the season kick off earlier in the year with some sort of winter break thing to avoid the fixture congestion and having to play re-arranged games on a freezing cold wet Tues or Wed night.

[ampersand]

Honestly, I'd like to see 3 leagues with 16 teams in each, 1 or 2 automatic promotion/ relegation places and a play off system. Have the season kick off earlier in the year with some sort of winter break thing to avoid the fixture congestion and having to play re-arranged games on a freezing cold wet Tues or Wed night.

[parTy animal]

Dirty cheating b*stards!! Get them chucked out!!

Betting on any player getting sent off in a game involving Hearts?! I thought that was easy money!

[Snufflebutt]

Said it before and I'll say it again - an 18 team league will push clubs over the edge - swap 4 home Old firm games for 4 matches against Ross County and Queen of the South - thats the real reason why the 18 team spl will never ever happen (and it shoudnt)

They are always going on about these restructuring plans (that never come to anything) - they wont make a blind bit of difference. It wont make the league any more competitive or make the football better.

Edited December 15, 2010 by Snufflebutt

[ampersand]

Dirty cheating b*stards!! Get them chucked out!!

Betting on any player getting sent off in a game involving Hearts?! I thought that was easy money!

[ampersand]

It wont make the league any more competitive or make the football better.

[Kowalski]

surely it's the ref that is the one with anything to answer for? unless the motherwell player said that he would kill and eat the refs family!

[Kowalski]

i disagree. top of first isn't hugely different from the lower spl. plus billy reids comments make sense. if you're not in a relegation battle (which a lot less teams will be), you're free to let more youth shine and improve the all round game in scotland.

[ampersand]

Jennings signed for Motherwell from Tranmere and the suspicions about the betting originated with a newly registered account in Liverpool.

He was sent off for abusive language and apologised to the ref and his team-mates after the match.

From that, I'm assuming the ref isn't under investigation...

[Kowalski]

aah, i was just going off what i heard on stv news last night. good thing he acted in the dressing room after what with the cameras being there.

[ampersand]

I could be completely wrong though, and the ref is being investigated. That's the last thing the Scottish refs need!

[Snufflebutt]

i disagree. top of first isn't hugely different from the lower spl. plus billy reids comments make sense. if you're not in a relegation battle (which a lot less teams will be), you're free to let more youth shine and improve the all round game in scotland.

Edited December 16, 2010 by Snufflebutt

[Snufflebutt]

i don't think snufflebum is taking into account that the queen of the souths will have a higher income and be able to invest a bit more as well to bring them even closer to hamilton and st mirren.

Edited December 16, 2010 by Snufflebutt

[ampersand]

reducing to 10 would take away the ridiculous split. that's a good point. but i just think it's going backwards. from a fans point of view, i don't want to be travelling to peterhead twice a season. obviously the fans view counts for nothing when the decision is made though.

the best leagues in the world all have larger leagues. i don't think it's rocket science to suggest we should be following suit.

i couldn't comment on the mid table teams at the end of the season, as i don't see them. but it would take a whole lot of pressure off more teams.

and i completely disagree with the celtic/rangers b teams being in the lower leagues. what happens when they go on to win the 1st division/spl2. we just forget the relegation/promotion spots?

[ampersand]

Yeah they would get better, but would that improve the quality of the SPL? No, the TV money would just get spread more thinly, the overall quality would go down, and the fans would then say the answer is a 20 team league!

Remember, because the EPL has 20 teams its a sure fire winner!

Itas worth adding that leagues in countries the size of Scotland have around 10-12 teams. Switzerand is bigger, and has 10.

[Snufflebutt]

the best leagues in the world all have larger leagues. i don't think it's rocket science to suggest we should be following suit.

[ampersand]

The best leagues in the world are the best leagues in the world because they have money, not because of the number of teams. What are the 'best leagues in Europe'? England, France, Germany, Spain, Italy. Which countries have the biggest economies?

The point is, if you have 18 teams in the league, you threaten the very existence of the clubs. Travel to peterhead twice a season, or not have a team to watch - or a team anywhere near the standard that it is now? Dont believe the media, Scottish football is in pretty good shape.