der Berliner 3,283 Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 No insult to you all intended, but once this talk between SPl and SFL began, I was reminded of that Braveheart movie (yes, I know its shortcomings) and the backstabbing/-dealing behind Wallace's and Bruce's backs by the clan chiefs and lairds. I wonder how many SFL club "chiefs" harbour similar thoughts ... 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RANGERRAB 3,299 Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 To be honest I don't care who we are playing as long as we get a TV deal where we are the important party. If Regan and Donkeycastor are going to fuck us then let them kiss our arse first. There won't be a SKY tv deal without us. Their SPL viewing figures are down something like 73% this season. That's not sustainable 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DUDE 0 Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 But it didnt stop me or my friends in the 90s, we'd be out in all conditions. It's a different time now. I grew up in the 90s as well, we'd be out no matter what, playing in the backyard, the streets, any dodgy pitch around town. I saw guys like Gazza and Gough and this was football, this was what I wanted to be. Kids nowadays start playing and grow up with characters like Cristiano Ronaldo and feels it's okay to be a diva and maybe not go out when it's cold and raining. Shame really. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tango 0 Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 There won't be a SKY tv deal without us. Their SPL viewing figures are down something like 73% this season. That's not sustainable Can an individual team refuse to sign a tv deal ? I always thought the league held the broadcasting rights and could sign them wither you liked it or not 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott7 5,236 Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 Any league where you play four games against every othe team is proven boring rubbish. They don't want "meaningless" games but Killie v St Mirren is always going to be "meaningless" except for the true followers of those teams. The competition is always going to be Rangers v celtic plus, in a good year, one other team most likely to be Hearts, D Utd. or Motherwell. Killie and Aberdeen have had a go in the past. Hibs never seem to be able to make it. No matter the size of the league table there will always be a mid table. Falkirk v Dunfermline will almost always be a mid table fixture. But the winner gets nearer to a respectable fourth or fifth and the loser edges closer to the relegation zone. There's a competition. Not very exciting for broadcasters or journos but interesting for fans of the two teams and for those who look at the league as a whole and not just who's going to be Champions. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
amms 0 Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 What's a 'meaningless game'? How can any game of football be meaningless, particularly if contested by two professional clubs? It's a misnomer, a term used by those with vested interests at play. Is Fulham v Swansea a meaningless game? What about Hamburg v Stuttgart or Valencia v Bilbao are they meaningless? Broadcasters will want to show matches that attract viewers, these will either involve clubs challenging for trophies or with big supports. That's the case in every league, Scotland is no different. A mid-table match between two clubs of average support is not meaningless, far from it, but it might not be all that attractive to TV, let's be clear here. I'm deeply depressed by these reports, I genuinely thought the winds of change were blowing now. But it seems not. Are the SFL 1 clubs are just as corruptible and avaricious as their SPL counterparts. Hell mend them if they are. Small leagues and 4 games a season is killing the game, it has been for years now. It stifles youth development, it stifles creativity and it bores supporters. Whatever our view of the SPL a couple of things have been demonstrated this season. There is an appetite for derby matches in football, Dundee and the Highlands have demonstrated this. An extended league will see more of these, Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, Fife and, dare I say it, Glasgow will bring supporters out. Also, with only 4 matches against Rangers and Celtic clubs can put a challenge together. Outside of the us and the Tims their isn't a huge amount resource wise between about another 16 clubs in Scotland. Yeah, Hearts, Aberdeen and Hibs are potentially much bigger than St Mirren or Inverness but not so much that the gap is insurmountable. If a club can put a side together that is the 'best of the rest' then they have a real chance to win the league. But in the current system, if Rangers were in the league too, there are 24 points contested, that's a tall order. Change that to 12 and it becomes achievable. Increased competition creates interest and improves viewing figures. Lastly quality; Scottish football is rank. Our best players are barely bit parts in the EPL and none are playing in any of the other major European leagues. This isn't just down to resources or facilities, we should still be able to produce a couple of great players every few seasons, Wales seems to be able to and their resources are similar to ours. The truth is our top clubs won't risk a young player if a journeyman is available. In a 10 or 12 team league too much is at stake to try out some youngsters. It's too easy to flirt with relegation in a league that size. I always thought it was criminal that Hamilton Accies were rewarded for producing 3 full international players by being relegated from the SPL. Where is the incentive? Mid table obscurity isn't meaningless, it's essential to the well being of our sport. If this goes through it might finally be time to pack up and chuck it. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenzie1 0 Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 The fact that this is even being mooted with, presumably, the sanction of Longmuir I find deeply disappointing, as for me it shows him to be just another who will run wi' the hares and bark wi' the hounds. I hope that CG is keeping a weather eye on these goings on and will not allow anything to happen that will be to the detriment of this club. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbr 1,247 Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 Longmuir was excellent yesterday , and I would bet that many on here are commenting without hearing not only what but how certain things were said , 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Moon 1,118 Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 Can you enlighten us rbr? I didn't hear much of it. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gingerger 0 Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 (edited) The most significant thing for me was his steadfast position that whatever the league format we need to go for one league body, i.e. the SPL needs to be dissolved (of course it wasn't phrased that way). He made it sound like a non negotiable position. I reckon this needs to happen but most likely they will form a new league body with a new name, mostly to save everybody's face. What that body will be called, who will lead it and what the voting structure will be is the next big argument. Edited January 6, 2013 by Gingerger 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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