Celtic & Sevco bid to join English league. Again. (merged)

[LarrysRightFoot]

Look at a map.

Not sure what your point is.

 

Are you saying if they were all away to say Norwich, Ipswich and Peterborough for example they wouldn't be using a lot of the same stretch of roads?

 

You say English nationalism is ugly but are unwilling to condemn football holiganism - infact you talk like it's unavoidable/taken as a given for Scottish fans.

[Bazzas right boot]

If you were actually capable of reading and had an ounce of comprehension you would have seen me state on several occasions there are clubs of greater standing than those mentioned currently playing in the lower league(s). That was not the point being made however but as I said to Socrates bash on......you are unable to listen to others viewpoints of they differ from yours. In this (unlikely) eventuality you would quite happily sit back and watch Hearts playing in a meaningless league where any trophy will be of far less value and that is your right. I've no problem with that but would hope Hearts showed a lot more ambition.

Only in your opinion, the trophy would be of far less value.

 

Ambition isn't bouncing about the championship, ambition is being champions if your country, winning cups .

 

Celtic and ranger's do not add value or de value anything that we do.

 

Don't give them that much credit, you sound like a Andy walker or some other slavering goon that can't see past the OF.

[Back to 2005]

Also based on the premise no other clubs currently of a similar stature grow at this hypothetical rate, such as your Charlton's, Bolton's, Portsmouth's (all teams who've been in the top flight in recent years). Seems to lean unbelievably heavy on the notion we'd be the only ones to make any kind of progress and no one could live with us while we rocketed to the top.

 

We'll just skoosh our way up the leagues and become huge because it's Edinburgh.

Has anyone suggested that we would be certainties for successive promotions? The point is we have a larger fan base than a lot of teams that have got all the way to the Premiership but there are obviously other factors that would determine how we would perform.

[Hendricks]

Seriously - look at a map of the UK. Look at Scotland. Then look at England. Then look at the transport networks and how the cities are linked and how far apart they are.

 

The come back and say that getting from Scotland to England for football games every week would in any way be fun, cost-effective or easy.

 

The UK is tiny. Its only 420 miles from Edinburgh to London ffs. Leagues around Europe survive and their clubs have to travel far greater distances. Nobody would be expecting you to attend all the away games wee man. Jesus Christ. 

[Generic Username]

Sacrificing winning silverware to go on a piss up of an away day against Wycombe.

 

SIGN ME UP.

 

It'll all be worth it in the long run...

[LarrysRightFoot]

The UK is tiny. Its only 420 miles from Edinburgh to London ffs. Leagues around Europe survive and their clubs have to travel far greater distances. Nobody would be expecting you to attend all the away games wee man. Jesus Christ.

This is very true.

 

Personally I don't fancy a cross border league but think some kind of Cup competition would be good for some variety/liven things up.

[Hendricks]

Only in your opinion, the trophy would be of far less value.

 

Ambition isn't bouncing about the championship, ambition is being champions if your country, winning cups .

 

Celtic and ranger's do not add value or de value anything that we do.

 

Don't give them that much credit, you sound like a Andy walker or some other slavering goon that can't see past the OF.

 

Hahaha. READ MY POSTS. I have continually said it is my opinion and that I accept and respect others would be happy to see Hearts winning the league year in year out without Rantic being our opposition. I can only speak for myself and others I know in that being far from how we wanted to see Hearts break their title chase. It would mean far far less to many of our supporters (not all of them). That is a fact whether you like out or not, some supporters (particularly of a certain vintage) will see it is a hollow victory should it ever happen that way. 

[socrates82]

The UK is tiny. Its only 420 miles from Edinburgh to London ffs. Leagues around Europe survive and their clubs have to travel far greater distances. Nobody would be expecting you to attend all the away games wee man. Jesus Christ. 

 

Have you travelled in Europe or looked at a map of Europe (or England)? The roads and train networks are infinitely better. There is ONE motorway in and out of Scotland and ONE that crosses Scotland (or 1.5 if you could the couple of diddly ones)! People in England commute hundreds of miles to work by train or car it's that easy to get around.

[Back to 2005]

At least we might get a non corrupt referee when playing the old firm..

[Hendricks]

Have you travelled in Europe or looked at a map of Europe (or England)? The roads and train networks are infinitely better. There is ONE motorway in and out of Scotland and ONE that crosses Scotland! 

 

Yes, I'm very well traveled thanks for asking! Again I have no idea what roads have to do with it. Tens of thousands of English football fans travel every weekend, many of them large distances. Hearts fans (like those of very club) would pick and choose what game they went to if this unlikely scenario ever came to pass. As an example Hearts would have bigger away support at a game in and around London than we do most weeks in Scotland these days and it would be far more fun to go to as well!! 

[socrates82]

Not sure what your point is.

 

Are you saying if they were all away to say Norwich, Ipswich and Peterborough for example they wouldn't be using a lot of the same stretch of roads?

 

You say English nationalism is ugly but are unwilling to condemn football holiganism - infact you talk like it's unavoidable/taken as a given for Scottish fans.

 

Seriously, look at the map of the UK. See that big empty bit up the top? See the bit with all the squiggly lines further down (south of the Yorkshire dales where almost all the English clubs we'd be playing are)?

[Geoff Kilpatrick]

How many Hearts fans are sounding like Weegies on this thread?

[socrates82]

Yes, I'm very well traveled thanks for asking! Again I have no idea what roads have to do with it. Tens of thousands of English football fans travel every weekend, many of them large distances. Hearts fans (like those of very club) would pick and choose what game they went to if this unlikely scenario ever came to pass. As an example Hearts would have bigger away support at a game in and around London than we do most weeks in Scotland these days and it would be far more fun to go to as well!! 

 

One of the farthest south big teams is Southampton. The farthest north is Newcastle. That's a 350 mile drive. They only have to do it once. All the other games are much easier to get to - within a couple of hours.

 

Now, let's look at us. Our NEAREST game is still a third of that distance and it takes a long time because of the slow roads. MOST of our games would be about the same as Southampton's longest trip. So we'd be doing what they need to do once a season almost every away game. And these are two outliers in England. Most teams are clustered much close together with decent transport links.

 

A similar distance as Southampton to Newcastle in Europe (e.g. Brussels to Paris) takes half the time. And they have trains literally going everywhere. And they're nice trains.

 

So we'd take no away support which would seriously hamper our chances of rocketing up the leagues the way you seem o think we would.

[VALDOS]

The 100k fans are not lost from the league.

 

The 100k fans have no benefit to Hearts or the other teams.

 

There is only one con, dozens of benefits.

absolute nonsense, you dont think those figures are waved in the face of every single sponsor/tv deal thats gets dished out.

[LarrysRightFoot]

Seriously, look at the map of the UK. See that big empty bit up the top? See the bit with all the squiggly lines further down (south of the Yorkshire dales where almost all the English clubs we'd be playing are)?

Look I get there is one motorway in and out Scotland - there's also trains and planes for game of that would be further south.

 

Are the UKs transport links the best? No.

 

Would it still be easier than fans travelling to games in Russia (they have to fly between timezones), France and Germany? Yes.

 

You are bringing politics and hooliganism into though!

 

And for what it's worth I'm against a UK league but would fancy a cross border cup competition.

[Worthing Jambo]

The thing is, the people that will make the decisions are not the hard core existing fans.

The ones making the decisions have their eye on the thousands of fans watching the telly and following whoever is winning.

Most football fans like themselves to be associated with successful brands.

Maybe the traditional fan is the dinosaur?

Makes me one then but doesn't stop me seeing the trend.

Where I live you can guess which team someone supports by their age.

That is the modern football fan that the money men like.

I saw a queue at the local station proud in their Barca tops the other week off to Wembley.

Just as many in Pool tops!!!

I had the pleasure at our game at Anfield of a Hearts fan telling me how fantastic it was to listen to the Kop.

Don't you think it's brilliant, don't you think it's brilliant!

I hope it was just drink talk as I was there to see the Hearts!

[Hendricks]

One of the farthest south big teams is Southampton. The farthest north is Newcastle. That's a 350 mile drive. They only have to do it once. All the other games are much easier to get to - within a couple of hours.

 

Now, let's look at us. Our NEAREST game is still a third of that distance and it takes a long time because of the slow roads. MOST of our games would be about the same as Southampton's longest trip. So we'd be doing what they need to do once a season almost every away game. A similar distance as Southampton to Newcastle in Europe (e.g. Brussels to Paris) takes half the time. And they have trains literally going everywhere. And they're nice trains.

 

So we'd take no away support which would seriously hamper our chances of rocketing up the leagues the way you seem o think we would.

To be honest as much as I've truly enjoyed this debate it's becoming tiresome as we go round and round in circles! For the record Hearts would never have "no away support" as we have fans all over the UK and I'd hazard a guess that most weekend games we would take at least as big supports as we do now given that's ever decreasing.

 

So a couple of predictions should this ever happen - I fully expect Hearts will sit back in the same old timid manner we have always done with the Old Firm, becoming the big fish in an increasingly very very small pond. Some of our fans will revel in that and enjoy the 'success' that affords. Others will also enjoy that novelty but equally know it's a hollow victory. Some will look on on envy at the riches Rantic secure as they inevitably climb the ladder and wonder what might have been had we shown some ambition and enterprise to get involved. Scottish football will become even more of a backwater than it is now and we will see part time SPL teams.

 

Whether people like it or not football and the leagues that teams play in will continue to evolve over the next 20 years. Driven by money and television. Personally I'd rather have a small chance of a seat somewhere on the periphery of that table (even at the back standing!) than be closed to the idea altogether.

[Cammo72]

The game up here is burst and getting worse. Our top players have been getting poached for years now by Rotherham and Scunthorpe type teams. Sponsorship and TV is limited. There's very little appeal even within Scotland, with most televised games showing row upon row of empty seats.

 

I think Hearts should be sitting with the ugly sisters and trying to leave too. I remember a report years ago saying we had somewhere between the 20th and 25th biggest fan base in the UK. We'd find our level down there in time.

 

I'd more than settle for Hearts playing Wolves, Leeds, Forest, etc. in the Championship than St Mirren and Kilmarnock up here.

 

We lose out on Europe? On last performances, hardly a major loss. Couple of non-glamour games, then out.

 

The national team is effected. Ha. Could care less. Gave up on them years ago with the treatment of Robbo.

 

Real Madrid made something like ?81m from the Champions League last year. The worst performing EPL team this year will get about ?95m for finishing last.

 

If we became even a yo-yo team from Championship to EPL in 5 years we'd be in a 35,000 stadium and attracting internationalists. Unless you believe the likes of Swansea, Bournemouth, Burnley and even Leicester are bigger than Hearts' potential. They're not.

 

I'd actually encourage Aberdeen, Hibs and United in talks. No point staying up here and celebrating winning the crumbs left behind.

[socrates82]

To be honest as much as I've truly enjoyed this debate it's becoming tiresome as we go round and round in circles! For the record Hearts would never have "no away support" as we have fans all over the UK and I'd hazard a guess that most weekend games we would take at least as big supports as we do now given that's ever decreasing.

 

So a couple of predictions should this ever happen - I fully expect Hearts will sit back in the same old timid manner we have always done with the Old Firm, becoming the big fish in an increasingly very very small pond. Some of our fans will revel in that and enjoy the 'success' that affords. Others will also enjoy that novelty but equally know it's a hollow victory. Some will look on on envy at the riches Rantic secure as they inevitably climb the ladder and wonder what might have been had we shown some ambition and enterprise to get involved. Scottish football will become even more of a backwater than it is now and we will see part time SPL teams.

 

Whether people like it or not football and the leagues that teams play in will continue to evolve over the next 20 years. Driven by money and television. Personally I'd rather have a small chance of a seat somewhere on the periphery of that table (even at the back standing!) than be closed to the idea altogether.

 

I get it. You've had your head turned by the shiny baubles on offer in the English league. Not my cup of tea though. Give me good old honest Scottish league football over the pampered, over-paid performing clowns in that league any day of the week. There's so much history in our league - be a shame to give it all up to jump on the Sky TV bandwagon.

 

Far from inevitable that the OF would climb the ladder. Look at Leeds and Newcastle and the fact only 6 teams have won the premier League since it started. OF fans in England would need to get used to never winning anything, or even never challenging seriously every year for anything, while back in Scotland we would need to get used to winning stuff and challenging most years. I think I'd cope, with the added amusement of seeing Rangers and Celtic getting cuffed off Hull or Bournemouth regularly.

[The Comedian]

Our league is already a backwater, Imagine the state of it without our two biggest teams.

 

[socrates82]

Our league is already a backwater, Imagine the state of it without our two biggest teams.

 

 

 

Cringe!

[socrates82]

[mod edit]

 

250-900 or so miles round trip every two weeks or so for a bog standard mid table game vs Preston or Oxford or someone plus evening games and cup ties? Really? Fair enough a one off glamour game cup game at Anfield or White Hart Lane... How many do you think we'd take to Southend Utd away?

[amadjambo]

Sacrificing winning silverware to go on a piss up of an away day against Wycombe.

 

SIGN ME UP.

 

It'll all be worth it in the long run...

Or watching Celtic, Rangers, Aberdeen and Hibs disappear over the horizon while we battle with Partick, ICT and Ross County for Scottish dominance.

 

Sign me up, sounds great.

 

Fortunately can't see it happening in my lifetime.

[amadjambo]

250-900 or so miles round trip every two weeks or so for a bog standard mid table game vs Preston or Oxford or someone plus evening games and cup ties? Really? Fair enough a one off glamour game cup game at Anfield or White Hart Lane... How many do you think we'd take to Southend Utd away?

Probably not much less than we take to many away games in an average season.

[socrates82]

Or watching Celtic, Rangers, Aberdeen and Hibs disappear over the horizon while we battle with Partick, ICT and Ross County for Scottish dominance.

 

Sign me up, sounds great.

 

Fortunately can't see it happening in my lifetime.

 

Yep, because Aberdeen and Hibs are about to be invited to dine at the top table of football! It's what managers across England are saying: "If only we could find away to bring players of the quality of Paul Hanlon and Mark Reynolds to our league, that would solve all of our money woes."

[Hendricks]

I get it. You've had your head turned by the shiny baubles on offer in the English league. Not my cup of tea though. Give me good old honest Scottish league football over the pampered, over-paid performing clowns in that league any day of the week. There's so much history in our league - be a shame to give it all up to jump on the Sky TV bandwagon.

 

Far from inevitable that the OF would climb the ladder. Look at Leeds and Newcastle and the fact only 6 teams have won the premier League since it started. OF fans in England would need to get used to never winning anything, or even never challenging seriously every year for anything, while back in Scotland we would need to get used to winning stuff and challenging most years. I think I'd cope, with the added amusement of seeing Rangers and Celtic getting cuffed off Hull or Bournemouth regularly.

Hahahaha. I havent had my head turned by anything!!! I would want what is best for Hearts and the future of the club I love. In my opinion that would 100% NOT be us playing in a Scottish League without Rantic. That will be dead in the water within no time. In my opinion Hearts are potentially a much bigger club than you give us credit for and should be involved in any future hypothetical discussions along with the Old Firm.

 

I get that you are set in your ways and like things just as they are and would love to see our trophy cabinet with a league title gift wrapped without their presence and I accept that stance. I'd like to see future generations of Hearts fans watching us play at a bit of a higher level in front of a team to be proud of not in some half arsed part time league against the complete gash we inevitably would be. But that's just my opinion.

[socrates82]

Probably not much less than we take to many away games in an average season.

 

Exactly. Our away support is an advantage for us here as it's relatively big. There it will be tiny. Yet folk think we'll somehow do better than big English teams with massive away supports that are currently in the English lower leagues.

[socrates82]

Hahahaha. I havent had my head turned by anything!!! I would want what is best for Hearts and the future of the club I love. In my opinion that would 100% NOT be us playing in a Scottish League without Rantic. That will be dead in the water within no time. In my opinion Hearts are potentially a much bigger club than you give us credit for and should be involved in any future hypothetical discussions along with the Old Firm.

 

I get that you are set in your ways and like things just as they are and would love to see our trophy cabinet with a league title gift wrapped without their presence and I accept that stance. I'd like to see future generations of Hearts fans watching us play at a bit of a higher level in front of a team to be proud of not in some half arsed part time league against the complete gash we inevitably would be. But that's just my opinion.

 

I applaud your eagerness to see us test ourselves against the likes of Grimsby Town and Rotherham every week for years, if we're lucky, as we battle our way up the leagues to join the elite, sweeping aside much better resourced clubs in the process. I quite like Scottish football, thanks.

[Worthing Jambo]

How are the Scottish rugby clubs getting on these days now that two have been created to compete on a European level?

Maybe worth studying?

Again folks, it ain't you and I making the decisions.

They will be made to suit any agendas and finance on offer.

Remember the clubs employed Doncaster and he thinks the world of ordinary fans!

Before that they employed the weasel Mitchell!

I rest my case.

[Bazzas right boot]

absolute nonsense, you dont think those figures are waved in the face of every single sponsor/tv deal thats gets dished out.

Yip and they take most of the money.

 

Crumbs from the table, some on here gladly accept.

[luckydug]

The day Hearts desert the Scottish League to play in the English league is the day I give up my ST and call it a day.

Heart of Midlothian are a proud SCOTTISH institution. To think that we would desert our country to play in the backwaters of England is indeed a sad thought.

I suppose if we had the finance and TV money we could compete. We certainly have the potential fanbase but as someone else said the English lower leagues are full of fallen giants from big cities who are wondering why THEY cant get up to the EPL where they feel they should be . It would take years with no guarantee of success to  progress to the top league . In fact half of us would be dead by the time we reached the EPL. Another point to consider the bigger clubs in England will probably have left to play in some kind of Super League in Europe

by the time all this happened and the English leagues would find themselves abandoned to the same fate as an OF free Scottish league with the TV and rich owners following the big teams out of the UK altogether. 

[Doctor FinnBarr]

This is very true.

 

Personally I don't fancy a cross border league but think some kind of Cup competition would be good for some variety/liven things up.

 

We had it in the past, Texaco/Anglo Scottish cup. Worked a treat, Rankers trashed Chesterfield and Septic Burnley.

[CMc]

If Sevco wanted to play in England, they should have bought Berwick Rangers, not the corpse of Glasgow Rangers.

 

They would have had a more legitimate claim to the name 'Rangers' and could have noticed one day that their club just happened to be in England. Could have mothballed Ibrox during their formative years in the lower divisions and then tried to move yo Glasgow after switching leagues.

 

More chance of success that way.

[Nookie Bear]

At least we might get a non corrupt referee when playing the old firm..

We would play them once every ten years in the cups so not really a problem.

[We_are_the_Hearts]

This thread is what makes me puke about modern football. Not surprising though from the BPL and Champs league fan boys. SKY have a lot to answer for!

[Nookie Bear]

Probably not much less than we take to many away games in an average season.

Out away support at Southend would consist of London Hearts and a few "enthusiasts".

The rest of us can catch up with the goals on Channel 5 at 9pm.

[Back to 2005]

Out away support at Southend would consist of London Hearts and a few "enthusiasts".

The rest of us can catch up with the goals on Channel 5 at 9pm.

Sunderland took a couple of thousand to Southampton at the weekend so don't see why we wouldn't take at least a thousand to away games.

[We_are_the_Hearts]

Sunderland took a couple of thousand to Southampton at the weekend so don't see why we wouldn't take at least a thousand to away games.

Yeah let's price the working man out even more

[alicante jambo]

Very good post and pretty much where I am at.

 

I think the sell out crowds may well continue for us short-term, as the feel good factor would remain (provided we were still winning). However, it would quickly evaporate when we are no longer able to hold on to any of our semi decent players because there is no interest in playing here. Our budget would be far, far smaller and there would be minimal interest in the SPL games, as the majority of people in Scotland follow Rangers or Celtic.

 

Long term this would be the death of Scottish football as we know it.

You know i heard this crap when sevco were put into the bottom division.Even on the hearts fc page some hearts fans were going bananas saying it would spell the end of 3 or 4 clubs in the top division.We will survive with or without these two scumbags.Theres a lot more teams debt free now than.there were before the new team joined the top league this season.The crowds are there look at us/hibs/aberdeen/dundee utd/falkirk when at hampden for cup fi als taking thousands.The crowds will always come and watch if theres proper competition i dont think youll find many fans just go to the games to watch their team play the arsecheeks.

[We_are_the_Hearts]

You know i heard this crap when sevco were put into the bottom division.Even on the hearts fc page some hearts fans were going bananas saying it would spell the end of 3 or 4 clubs in the top division.We will survive with or without these two scumbags.Theres a lot more teams debt free now than.there were before the new team joined the top league this season.The crowds are there look at us/hibs/aberdeen/dundee utd/falkirk when at hampden for cup fi als taking thousands.The crowds will always come and watch if theres proper competition i dont think youll find many fans just go to the games to watch their team play the arsecheeks.

[Rudy T]

What people are advocating on this thread is we go from our own top league into some 5th tier English league. We then attempt to work through the English league system to get a crack at the likes of Leeds etc in the forlorn hope one day we make it to the premiership and try and survive in that league for a few million in the bank.

 

Forgetting that those millions are relative to the spend on players to compete. During this journey we are unlikely to see any silverware will be competing for support with not only far richer glasgow based teams who are likely to get to the promised land a lot quicker than us but also the massive English 'brand' clubs.

 

I'm also reading a league win without the old firm is devalued. So if celtic and rangers were somehow relegated and hearts won the league it wouldn't count?? And then if we move leagues and win something what value does that hold against the likes of forrest green rovers!?

 

Yet if we stay and we retain European places we have every chance of earning millions without the relative spend. Big home crowds as we challenge and silverware. Surely no hearts fan would swap that for a Tuesday night away game in some shit box town in middle England!?

[Geoff Kilpatrick]

What people are advocating on this thread is we go from our own top league into some 5th tier English league. We then attempt to work through the English league system to get a crack at the likes of Leeds etc in the forlorn hope one day we make it to the premiership and try and survive in that league for a few million in the bank.

 

Forgetting that those millions are relative to the spend on players to compete. During this journey we are unlikely to see any silverware will be competing for support with not only far richer glasgow based teams who are likely to get to the promised land a lot quicker than us but also the massive English 'brand' clubs.

 

I'm also reading a league win without the old firm is devalued. So if celtic and rangers were somehow relegated and hearts won the league it wouldn't count?? And then if we move leagues and win something what value does that hold against the likes of forrest green rovers!?

 

Yet if we stay and we retain European places we have every chance of earning millions without the relative spend. Big home crowds as we challenge and silverware. Surely no hearts fan would swap that for a Tuesday night away game in some shit box town in middle England!?

Indeed. And why would England stop at inviting Scottish teams. Why not French or Dutch?

[CollyWolly]

What people are advocating on this thread is we go from our own top league into some 5th tier English league. We then attempt to work through the English league system to get a crack at the likes of Leeds etc in the forlorn hope one day we make it to the premiership and try and survive in that league for a few million in the bank.

 

Forgetting that those millions are relative to the spend on players to compete. During this journey we are unlikely to see any silverware will be competing for support with not only far richer glasgow based teams who are likely to get to the promised land a lot quicker than us but also the massive English 'brand' clubs.

 

I'm also reading a league win without the old firm is devalued. So if celtic and rangers were somehow relegated and hearts won the league it wouldn't count?? And then if we move leagues and win something what value does that hold against the likes of forrest green rovers!?

 

Yet if we stay and we retain European places we have every chance of earning millions without the relative spend. Big home crowds as we challenge and silverware. Surely no hearts fan would swap that for a Tuesday night away game in some shit box town in middle England!?

Its not just about Hearts mate. Its about Ross County and Kilmarnock and St Johnstone. What form are they going to take when the TV money dwindles and sponsors aren't interested ?

Hearts can survive that, probably in our current form, because we have the gates. A lot of the others rely heavily on the TV and sponsorship money to survive. You have to look at the bigger picture. Its not just about Hearts winning 10 in a row.

[Geoff Kilpatrick]

Its not just about Hearts mate. Its about Ross County and Kilmarnock and St Johnstone. What form are they going to take when the TV money dwindles and sponsors aren't interested ?

Hearts can survive that, probably in our current form, because we have the gates. A lot of the others rely heavily on the TV and sponsorship money to survive. You have to look at the bigger picture. Its not just about Hearts winning 10 in a row.

What would happen to them if they were relegated?

[a safe pair of sells]

I think we should go too.

We're bigger than most clubs in England and they'll understand us easier.

Also there could be a change of heart after Celtic fans visit Manchester.

Still bad feeling down there after the Huns last visit.

 

This! Why not, smaller clubs than us have made it and are in the Prem. Yes, it would be a struggle to get through the leagues, but when have we ever not taken on a challenge. If Hibs & Aberdeen were there too (England), it would be very interesting. I actually think we (Hearts) might have more to gain and less to lose than the Ugly Sisters if we were to go too.

[Rudy T]

Its not just about Hearts mate. Its about Ross County and Kilmarnock and St Johnstone. What form are they going to take when the TV money dwindles and sponsors aren't interested ?

Hearts can survive that, probably in our current form, because we have the gates. A lot of the others rely heavily on the TV and sponsorship money to survive. You have to look at the bigger picture. Its not just about Hearts winning 10 in a row.

Nothing would change. The old firm crowds would be replaced by Hearts Aberdeen Hibs probably Dundee Utd etc etc. If teams are doing well the fans will turn out in numbers.

 

Let's not forget under this proposal the old firm are not going to be playing anyone of any note for a long while I'm sure ICT etc will draw more young fans as it's more exciting to watch than the old firm scrambling around lower English leagues. They'd have to gain promotion every season to get to a decent level in 4 years. That's four years without European ties, 4 years without a cup win.

 

Also if it happened it would be up to us to restructure accordingly to get the best set up we could. It wouldn't be a case of saying that's them away bring 2 extra teams up from the championship. We'd have to create a new system to get the bigger teams together and personally I think it would make for a great watch.

[XB52]

The day Hearts desert the Scottish League to play in the English league is the day I give up my ST and call it a day.

Heart of Midlothian are a proud SCOTTISH institution. To think that we would desert our country to play in the backwaters of England is indeed a sad thought.

I suppose if we had the finance and TV money we could compete. We certainly have the potential fanbase but as someone else said the English lower leagues are full of fallen giants from big cities who are wondering why THEY cant get up to the EPL where they feel they should be . It would take years with no guarantee of success to  progress to the top league . In fact half of us would be dead by the time we reached the EPL. Another point to consider the bigger clubs in England will probably have left to play in some kind of Super League in Europe

by the time all this happened and the English leagues would find themselves abandoned to the same fate as an OF free Scottish league with the TV and rich owners following the big teams out of the UK altogether. 

exactly. It is never going to happen anyway but I would be finished with football if it ever did.  We are a Scottish club, playing our football in Scotland, end of story 

[Ibrahim Tall]

What would happen to them if they were relegated?

Not relevant.

With the exception of the recent Sevco scenario every single club in the SPL and a fair few in championship would have had to improve remarkably at the same time enough in order to finish above both clubs. That isn't the scenario we have.

[Geoff Kilpatrick]

Not relevant.

With the exception of the recent Sevco scenario every single club in the SPL and a fair few in championship would have had to improve remarkably at the same time enough in order to finish above both clubs. That isn't the scenario we have.

I was referring to Ross County and Kilmarnock!

[Sraman]

Not relevant.

With the exception of the recent Sevco scenario every single club in the SPL and a fair few in championship would have had to improve remarkably at the same time enough in order to finish above both clubs. That isn't the scenario we have.

 

It's entirely relevant. If Ross County, Kilmarnock or St. Johnstone were relegated they would have to cut their cloth accordingly.