Reconstruction talks

[Zappa 0]

Nope, but we barely know what they are discussing or how the discussions will go. That said, no matter what we discuss or debate here, they will do what they do ...

 

Anyone here can use message board discussions to form some thoughts and opinions into an article which can be read by thousands of people including people in the Scottish football media who can in turn perhaps be influenced on what they themselves write, so I would put it to you dB, that there is indeed a vehicle beyond our simple discussions to actually sew seeds and effect opinions on a larger, broader scale beyond the sign in, post reply and sign out buttons of a forum....

[the gunslinger 3,366]

what happened to the summers mantra of doing what the fans want.

[RANGERRAB 3,258]

Has anyone asked where the finance for this new reconstruction is coming from? SKY are spittin' feathers with ultra low SPL viewing figures this season and may walk away at the end of the season and both CB & Barrs Irn-Bru sponsorships end then too.

Clubs simply cant survive on ehat they get at the gate (unless they all go part time)

[bluebear54 0]

The idea of this midway split into 3 leagues of 8 is very ill- thought out. How can teams budget for this? The 4 who come up from Div 2 will be at a distinct disadvantage. Or is this the plan? On another tack, the 4 who go down will be toiling financially.

What Scottish football really needs IMO is a bottom tier of under-18 football, the. Under 21 for the next level. Radical, but would bring on youngsters which is what we need.

[ian1964 10,416]

Reconstruction: Onwards to Oblivion - By Peter Ewart | CRO Contributor

 

 

http://www.thecoplandroad.org/2013/01/reconstruction-onwards-to-oblivion.html?m=1

[Tumshie RFC 0]

It seems that the powers that be only listen to the fans on one particular subject. Scottish football has been a laughing stock for years but this has got to be the craziest idea I have ever heard.

[ian1964 10,416]

SWISS chiefs last night urged Scottish football not to adopt the league system they ditched 10 years ago.

 

The Alpine nation has since flourished with top-flight attendances rising by 50 per cent after reverting back to a 10-team set up.

 

But despite loud warnings against change Scotland’s two main league bodies, the SPL and the SFL, are on the verge of rubber-stamping a switch to the 12-12-18 format previously used in Switzerland and Austria.

 

The new structure would mean clubs in the top two leagues playing 22 matches before splitting into a top, middle and bottom eight.

 

The top eight would play for the title, the middle lot would contest promotion and relegation spots in and out of the top league while the bottom eight would fight to avoid dropping to the third tier.

 

Switzerland used the model for 15 years, from 1988 to 2003, but after attendances fell through the floor and sponsorship and television revenue dipped they voted for change.

 

Swiss League spokesman Philippe Guggisberg said: “I don’t think there is an ideal solution but what we can say is there are now more spectators and the revenue from sponsors and television is going up.

 

“That would suggest we are doing something right because success is all about numbers. Historians might have another opinion but this is certainly the best way forward.

 

Philippe Guggisberg is happy with the Swiss set-up

“In the old league average attendances were 7000-8000, now they are over 12,000. That is a 50 per cent increase.

 

“We are certainly stronger than 10 years ago and the package has helped make us more successful.”

 

Switzerland faces the same problems as Scotland given they do not have the strength in depth to increase the size of their top flight to 16 or 18 teams. And while two leagues of 12 with an 8-8-8 split was viewed as a compromise, sponsors were not keen to be associated with the bottom 16 after the split.

 

Guggisberg said: “We changed to a league of 10 in 2003 because the second part of the championship didn’t work.

 

Rangers could start out at bottom all over again if new Scottish league changes come into play next season

“It was very complicated for television and sponsors who didn’t want to be associated with any meaningless matches. It is much easier to have two separate divisions.

 

“There are still ongoing discussions here about league reconstruction and there are a number of supporters who would like to revert to the old system.

 

“But the current set-up has been in operation for 10 years now and I think the majority are in favour of it.”

 

The Swiss initially changed to a 10-team Premier Division with a 16-team second tier. However, last season they moved to a 10-10 set-up and regionalised the remainder of the lower leagues.

 

Three years ago they held a referendum about re-introducing the split in a bid to create more drama but it was rejected. Guggisberg said: “The second part of the season, with eight clubs playing for the title, was as successful as the current system.

 

“But fans were not turning up in the same numbers, especially at the start of the season or when the games didn’t matter as much.

 

“There can be more excitement with a split but given we are now among the top 10 in Europe when it comes to attendances it would be a backward step to revert back to the old formula.”

 

Meanwhile, Geoff Ellis, better known as the man who stages T in the Park and even managed to bring the Pope to Glasgow, admits selling out Scottish football may be a stretch too far even for his powers.

 

T in the Park promoter Geoff Ellis says radical changes are needed

 

The Manchester City fan insists allowing alcohol to be sold in stadiums would be a good start – as well as a rethink on ticket pricing. He said: “It’s time to bring controlled alcohol licences into football again. People will always have a drink before games so they should be allowed to do it at the grounds as is the case in England.

 

“There isn’t as much trouble at football now compared to the 60s and 70s. If fans were allowed to have a few pints in the concourses it would mean they wouldn’t have to rush out of the pubs and be running into the grounds late.

 

“English stadiums also serve alcohol after the final whistle and it allows fans time to disperse while they have a pint and talk over the game.

 

“People can get drunk anywhere but the licence to serve alcohol is controlled in grounds. We had to fight tooth and nail to be allowed to serve alcohol at sporting venues hosting concerts. When I first started doing them in Scotland the stadiums were dry venues.

 

“I had Robbie Williams coming to Hampden but how was I supposed to get fans into the ground early?

 

“We didn’t want crushes but knew there would be a late rush from people leaving pubs or drinking outside with their own booze. Eventually the council granted us a license.

 

“Most football hooliganism wasn’t about alcohol anyway, it was about organised fighting. It’s about making the event a more enjoyable occasion.”

 

Ellis has been the driving force for one of world’s largest music festivals in his role as managing director with

DF concerts and events and has booked top talents such as Rihanna, AC/DC and Take That.

 

He’s adamant football must put fans first when weighing up the cost of a ticket in an age when the costs of attending a game are adding up.

 

He said: “Prices for any form of entertainment be it football, music or theatre need to be considered very carefully. The golden rule on ticket pricing needs to be affordability. You can’t afford to alienate your core audience.

 

“We launched T in the Park at a time when there weren’t a lot of festivals on in the United Kingdom. We could have charged more as there was only Glastonbury and Reading Festivals in our market but if we had done that we wouldn’t have gained the long-term loyalty from our audience.

 

“These fans have stayed with us through hail, rain and shine. It’s about looking at the affordability and not just making hay while the sun shines.

 

“You can charge top dollar for glamour games but how do you get fans to come out on a wet Wednesday night for a game against a run-of-the-mill side.

 

“People in the game need to look at the whole package. It’s not just the price of the ticket, it’s everything else which goes with it – the car parking, a pie and maybe a few pints before the game.

 

“Then there’s the programme and the cost of taking your kids to a match. It’s a challenge to balance all these costs.”

 

Scottish football reconstruction moves closer with Hampden summit despite SFL source claiming SPL is ignoring lower league

Ellis has also urged Scottish football to throw open its doors to the kids. He said: “There’s no point in just making the rubbish games discounted as you could put a child off football for life.

 

“It should be the big games they get allowed into and they could become hooked on it.

 

“I have seen it with my own children who now go to Hampden to watch Scotland and they love it.

 

“It’s about getting the kids into the clubs and then they will pester their parents to take them to other games.

 

“I see clubs posting attendance figures which indicate a full house when in reality there are a huge amount of no shows.

 

“People have bought season tickets but can’t afford to go to every game. They have paid for a ticket but the cost of everything adds up.”

[calscot 0]

I sometimes get the feeling that the SPL 12-12-18 proposals are a two fold assault - the first to water down any threat from the SFL and second to bugger us up. Some are probably seething that we're getting bumper crowds while theirs are dwindling. It's all very well Rangers fans being up for the adventure of the lower leagues but can you imagine the drop in interest if more than half the games next season are against the same clubs as this season? The fairytale nature would evaporate and it would become a drudge.

 

However, Sky probably know that too and so not only will the SPL have dropping viewing figures, the crutch of Rangers games will also be weakened both at home and in England. There just won't be much of a product to sell. They really know how to damage themselves by attacking others.

[stewarty 1,876]

Charles Green has been remarkably quiet on this front, of late. In fact, he's had a quiet week or so. Unusual by his standards.

 

I'm very keen to hear his thoughts on the negotiations. Is has said previously that we will not sign-over our image rights again to the SPL (via the SFL), so where does that leave any potential broadcast deals?

[the gunslinger 3,366]

good chance we are all for the spl proposal.