Hibs owner Ron Gordon salutes Rangers and argues 'no club' has advanced Scottish football...

[ian1964 10,409]

more than Rangers.

 

Ron Gordon has saluted the progress made by Rangers in advancing the brand perception of the Premiership across Europe.

The Ibrox side have recorded stunning results on the continent over the last few years, culminating in a Europa League final appearance last term.

Their performances have been significant in ensuring more teams compete in European competition, and enter at a higher level.

And Hibs owner Gordon, who alongside Aberdeen, Dundee, Dundee United and Hearts commissioned Deloitte to look at ways to improve our game, has put aside tribal rivalry and singled out Giovanni van Bronckhorst's side for praise in helping progress how other people see our top flight.

He told The Scotsman: “A very important part of this is the brand of the league. The league sometimes gets a little beaten up, but it's a great league. For me, probably one of, if not the most exciting small league in Europe; the most engaged fans, historic clubs, the Old Firm, who are powerful clubs that can compete at the highest level.

 

"The fact that Rangers made it to the Europa League final is amazing. When you think about it, probably no club has contributed to advancing Scottish football on a European level or really in general than Rangers in the last three years. That’s progress.”

And improved European performance across the whole of Scottish football is at the heart of the 3-5 year plan to improve the top flight, which Gordon insists have "wow factor".

He said: "Underlying this whole thing about growing the league is the fact that we'll create stronger clubs with a better product, better teams, that hopefully can go deeper in Europe.

"Celtic and Rangers are in a different ballpark but for Hibs, or Hearts, or Motherwell, or Aberdeen to be playing in Europe on a consistent basis in the group stage, and have our co-efficient top eight or top seven, which we could do, that is a self-fulfilling prophecy.

"We'll all be generating more income, we'll be able to get better players, the product on the pitch will improve, we'll be able to go further in Europe, we'll be able to make more money so it kind of feeds itself.”

 

https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/sport/20581988.hibs-owner-ron-gordon-salutes-rangers-argues-no-club-advanced-scottish-football/

[26th of foot 5,829]

....... and Irvine Welsh says ........?

[gisabeer 409]

Sounds like a great plan with one major flaw....it will never happen.

[Malangsob 1,196]

 

An American businessman treating the SPL as an organization, with a vision for success.

Way too much 'can do' positivity, and forthright speech for north of the Antonine Wall

 

Come on Gordo!

 

You're in Scotland FFS! 

 

LOL!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Sutton_blows_goats 4,174]

8 hours ago, Malangsob said:

An American businessman treating the SPL as an organization, with a vision for success.

There are 3 (i think) in total in the SPFL, Hibs, Sheep, Dundee United. I don't think these guys will be in the business of owning a business and taking a financial hit because they hate Rangers, hopefully they start pulling the rest in the right direction.

 

Gordon is right. Scottish football undersells itself everywhere. Our current TV deal was sold short over a long term to suit one club and finishing the covid season early for example. This type of thing needs to stop.

[Yorkie Bear 505]

First the BBC come grovelling. Now the Hibbies extol our virtues. Where will it end?

[stewarty 1,876]

I'm just surprised he has been allowed to use the term "Old Firm".  I can only imagine the frothing in some quarters of social media.

[buster. 4,808]

A lot of ground to make up.

 

Scottish provincial clubs in Europe are on a par with those from the likes of Lithuania and Malta.

 

First up this season

Motherwell 0 Sligo Rovers 1

[Rousseau 9,361]

I feel like it's the wrong way round: They seem to want all the benefits to improve the product. 

 

We should be improving the product to reap the benefits. 

[stewarty 1,876]

1 minute ago, Rousseau said:

I feel like it's the wrong way round: They seem to want all the benefits to improve the product. 

 

We should be improving the product to reap the benefits. 

Agreed.  For me it starts with refereeing standards.  If they were much tougher on the physicality in the game and refereed more to a european standard, we would see more of our technical prospects start to flourish.   We get frustrated when promising youngsters don't translate their youth pedigree into first team success, and I think this is one of the main barriers.