The Fans Opinions

[Guest Qwop]

Hello, I was hoping for a few fans opinions on the following:

 

I am currently entering my third year at university and am about to begin my dissertation. For this I have chosen the subject of fan ship. Specifically I am looking at the relationship between Rangers and Celtic fans. The main focus of the study will be how this relationship has changed since Rangers changed operating companies.

 

Issues I will be examining include:

Is the relationship as intense considering the two teams are no longer challenging for the same titles?

Is this change a benefit for Scottish football and Scottish society, for example is the league more or less competitive?

Does the new league structure provide lower leagues more money? Is there a reduction in societal issues such as violence etc...?

Or has the loss of the “Old Firm” damaged the commercial pull of Scottish football?

Ultimately I want to know whether people believe the relationship between the two sets of fans has changed due to the transformation in Scottish football?

 

As part of my study I am hoping to speak to fans from both sides and ask them their opinion on some of the topics mentioned above, hence this post.

 

I realise a lot of these are in-depth questions and may take some time to answer; I appreciate all the replies and feedback that is given.

 

 

Thank you in advance for any responses

[calscot 0]

I would say we've gone from an often tense détente to a bitter and dangerous cold war which could go nuclear the next time we meet.

 

Not challenging on the football pitch means everything is put into the political side and Celtic fans, board and manager seem to escalate the hostilities at every opportunity.

 

We have now have two one horse races out of four and no big fight for the title so our league has no competitiveness whatsoever. The worst aspect is that even with a duopoly, every team has a small say in where the title goes with each win or draw over the top two, with a monopoly, the title is decided no matter how you play each game.

 

There has been a trickle effect to the lower leagues, money wise, with all the travelling Rangers fans and the extra games in the Challenge Cup. However, the amount of money Rangers are bringing into the game in total is about 1/3 it was before and a significant proportion of that shortfall will be missed by the rest of the clubs who would have benefited. The Premiership is also bringing in far less money from other sources such as sponsorship and media rights. Scottish football as a whole must have lost about 20% of its income.

[Scott7 5,139]

That's some can of worms you're poking into the hornets' nest there, Qwop. Ask the prof if he'd take something on particle physics instead.

[Guest Qwop]

That's some can of worms you're poking into the hornets' nest there, Qwop. Ask the prof if he'd take something on particle physics instead.

 

This is certainly not my intention, just looking to get some opinions from the fans

[Juancornetto 1]

Hello, I was hoping for a few fans opinions on the following:

 

I am currently entering my third year at university and am about to begin my dissertation. For this I have chosen the subject of fan ship. Specifically I am looking at the relationship between Rangers and Celtic fans. The main focus of the study will be how this relationship has changed since Rangers changed operating companies.

 

Issues I will be examining include:

Is the relationship as intense considering the two teams are no longer challenging for the same titles?

The relationship between both clubs and both sets of fans has deteriorated dramatically since Feb 14th 2011. The narrative has changed from one of on field rivalry to that of fiscal governance and fan behaviour. Each set of fans is desperate to the see both the rival club and it's fans punished, degraded or even destroyed. In the case of Celtic minded people, they have demonstrably influenced the legal and adminsitrative process. Google RangersTaxCase.....

 

Is this change a benefit for Scottish football and Scottish society, for example is the league more or less competitive?

 

Quite the opposite, the league has no sponsor and seems no nearer finding one despite Peter Lawell and Stewart Regan being capable business men with top level contacts in many potential sponsor businesses. The takeover of the SFL & SFA by the SPL (google Jim Ballantyne's description) has only served to further the decline and increase the contempt that Rangers fans hold for the governing body. The SFL had been a welcoming port in the storm, headed by David Longmuir who treated the club and it's fans with respect. Celtic fans and their compliant media friends set about discrediting Longmuir by suggesting that he was "auditioning for a job at Rangers". Competitiveness is non existent, it was poor before but as Calscot said above it was at least a Duopoly.

 

Does the new league structure provide lower leagues more money?

Nobody really knows, the TV deal brokered by Lawell and Doncaster has yet to be revealed to the public however former SFL clubs were swayed into voting for the SPFL takeover by a short term boost in income.

 

Is there a reduction in societal issues such as violence etc...?

 

I'd be interested in seeing the official figures but given the hostility that exists online and in pubs and clubs around the country I'd be surprised if there has been anything but a surge in sectarian violence

 

Or has the loss of the “Old Firm” damaged the commercial pull of Scottish football?

 

No sponsor and only a fanciful tie up with a Chinese pay per view broadcaster which is dependant on actual subscriptions tells you all you need to know

 

Ultimately I want to know whether people believe the relationship between the two sets of fans has changed due to the transformation in Scottish football?

 

Yes, it changed when Neil Lennon took over as manager at Celtic and the hitherto marginal extremist element became emboldened enough to display overtly sectarian flags/banners, focusing on the fact that Lennon was Irish and a Catholic and shutting down the ability to legitimately criticise him for fear of being branded an "anti-Irish racist". With each passing disciplinary charge they became ever more anti-establishment. Rangers fans of course reacted and engaged in the age old tit-for-tat nonsense. New legislation was rushed in (Offensive Behaviour Act) after one Old Firm game and has gone on to become a further divisive mechanism.

 

As part of my study I am hoping to speak to fans from both sides and ask them their opinion on some of the topics mentioned above, hence this post.

 

I realise a lot of these are in-depth questions and may take some time to answer; I appreciate all the replies and feedback that is given.

 

 

Thank you in advance for any responses

 

Answers under questions in quote.

[Bluedell 5,329]

Is the relationship as intense considering the two teams are no longer challenging for the same titles?

In a puely footballing sense, no, as there are no games between them but I despise them more than I ever have.

 

Is this change a benefit for Scottish football and Scottish society, for example is the league more or less competitive?

Everything about this not beneficial to Scottish football. The league is less competitive. the league has been won off the pitch in a murky SFA office and not on the pitch. Scottish football's credibility has been damaged and it will take more than a decade to repair.

 

Does the new league structure provide lower leagues more money?

I understand that the new league structure does provide the lower leagues with more money. The clubs were effectively bribed with this cash to vote for it, and it was nothing to do with whether it would be good or bad.

 

Is there a reduction in societal issues such as violence etc...?

I can't comment on violence as such, but there would be a reduction in incidents due to the lack of OF games at the moment. However the long term impacts could lead to an increase in the long term.

 

Or has the loss of the “Old Firm” damaged the commercial pull of Scottish football?

Yes, but there are other issues that have also impacted it. No self-respecting company would get involved in a league that is a joke.

 

 

Ultimately I want to know whether people believe the relationship between the two sets of fans has changed due to the transformation in Scottish football?

The relationship has changed but not due to reconstruction but due to the Celtic fans behaviour. Certain businesses owed by Celtic fans have lost my business, possibly forever, due to it for example..

[sannybear 0]

"Yes, it changed when Neil Lennon took over as manager at Celtic and the hitherto marginal extremist element became emboldened enough to display overtly sectarian flags/banners, focusing on the fact that Lennon was Irish and a Catholic and shutting down the ability to legitimately criticise him for fear of being branded an "anti-Irish racist". "

 

I believe the appointment of martin o`neill was the real game changer . What had always been the most intense football rivalry with religious differences in the background suddenly became full-on sectarianism . From reaching the point when Rangers` players religion was never mentioned ( I couldn`t have told you any of our players religion by 2000 and still couldn`t today ) , within weeks of o`neill`s arrival it was clear that far from playing down religious or ethnic differences , these would now be accentuated and utilised whenever possible to engender a feeling of being discriminated against . The man has a lot to answer for .