Uneven Playing Field

[Des' Dad]

According to "Transfer Market" website Scottish football now has an even wider disparity between the top clubs and all the rest since the window closed. They calculate the total market value of each team on the basis of the expected fee for each of the players at the club therefore, it is not an exact science. Loanees are included which probably inflates the value of the squads at Celtic and Rangers. This is the list:-

Celtic            £60.4M

Rangers        £24.55M

Hearts          £12.25M

Aberdeen     £10.18M

Hibs             £9.93M

Bottom of the table is Motherwell at £3.73M. This, coupled with wage disparity, does not put Scottish football in a very healthy place.

[Don Dan]

It needs a radical change. This disparity is the lead weight that is and has been keeping Scottish football back. Until we rid ourselves of the Weegie mafia nothing is going to change and sadly I can't see that happening.

[sprinbox98]

The last Celtic published accounts showed that they had almost £40m as cash sitting in the bank. That £40m could buy the entire of Scottish football...sevco included.

 

With more champions league income and a potential run in the Europa league...coupled with minimal outlay on players and the £7.5m sell on from van dyke, I’m afraid to say the uneven playing field will continue to get wider!!

[SuperstarSteve]

The league will never be competitive in opinion, we are too far gone to even that financial gap out, the SFA are only interested in helping promote 2 clubs and always will be, I gave up in the system back in 2012, not following hearts isn’t an option, getting one over on the hobos and hoping for a Scottish cup run is the only things left to care about. 

[Homme]

We are under performing. I expect CL to put this right over the rest of this season and next.

 

Allowing Cathro such reign really put us back.

[Bazzas right boot]

Scottish football is ****ed.

 

The SFA won't care as long as  Celtic are doing ok and rangers are improving.

 

Shame.

 

Sky have also ****ed us. 

For example, Teams like Bournemouth, Brighton and Huddersfield are now seen as bigger and better moves than Celtic.

 

Tragic state.

 

[Don Dan]

2 minutes ago, Homme said:

We are under performing. I expect CL to put this right over the rest of this season and next.

 

Allowing Cathro such reign really put us back.

 

Agree with you about the sad outcome of the Cathro experiment. We tried something different and against all the odds but it didn't work. 

We (all of Scottish Football outside the Uglies) can't just sit here and get whipped hopefully our Academy investments can go some way in turning the tide. 

[tokyowalnut]

It's crazy how far backwards Scottish football has gone financially in the past decade/20 years.

 

The people responsible for marketing and selling the product think they're doing a great job getting an extra quarter million a year from a bookies. We're falling behind bloody league 1 in England in terms of finances.

[Deevers]

Even bigger disparity when you compare here with the top two (possibly even three) Divisions down south. The money involved down there is staggering. I sometimes wonder if the bubble will burst down there as quite a few clubs are running on huge debts. If Sky someday pull the plug...............!

[Bull's-eye]

1 or 2 club league has led to no investment.

 

It will never change.

[Bull's-eye]

3 minutes ago, Deevers said:

Even bigger disparity when you compare here with the top two (possibly even three) Divisions down south. The money involved down there is staggering. I sometimes wonder if the bubble will burst down there as quite a few clubs are running on huge debts. If Sky someday pull the plug...............!

 

Wealthy individuals are buying Conference club's. Sky pulling the plug won't matter a jot.

 

The question is why are wealthy people investing and why are they not interested in Scottish football and if they where would people want it any way?

[steven_mck]

Football is cyclical and like anything else, things always change. UEFA will also shake things up. Just look at how things were 30 - 35 years ago. So one day the big two won't be. Admit could take a while because of disparity now.

[EIEIO]

Currently we are closer to the huns financially than we have been for decades.  I see this as a positive. Celtic are boosted by champions league money but they are makeweights when they reach the group stages. A few years of failing to qualify for the group stages will impact them severely.

After 18 months of on field stagnation we are improving fast, off the field we have never been in better shape financially.

Comparing ourselves to English football financially is futile.

 

 

[Section G The Place To Be]

Sky only care about England and Wales (I Include wales because Welsh teams also play in the English league) The reason they only care about England is the size of market. England have 55 million give or take a few of a population. Scotland has 5.5 million. 

 

Scottish football has no pulling power. We are stuck in a time warp up here with the backward thinking Regan's and Doncasters. It is hardly a good  advert for our game. These idiots have shown time and time again they are interested only in themselves and that of the OF. There is no get up and go to revolutionise the game here and give it a stand out over the EPL or other leagues. Something like summer football  and a winter shut down might help. No other football is broadcast during the summer unless its the world cup or Euros. When its a year when either of these are on its easy to close down the top league for 4 weeks. I believe TV companies will fall over themselves to broadcast summer football. 

 

A complete revamp of the Scottish leagues is needed. This playing each other 4 times a season is pish. It is only being kept to satisfy the OF and Sky. So thy can have their 4 bigot fests a season. 

 

Sadly I think we (Fans) missed out chance several years ago when Sevco went tits up. Then was the time to invoke change, we had them by the short and curlies at that point. Club owners were panicking because of threats of boycotts by the fans. The sheep molesters caved in and shat out changing the voting structure. 

 

There is only one way Scottish football will ever change for the better and that is a combined effort by all fans and fan groups to pressure the change. I've said it before on here, club owners and chairmen/woman only listen when their pockets are being threatened. As long as fans turn up every season and hand over our cash like lemmings and do nothing about it. We will always be having these discussions. 

[I.T.K]

1 minute ago, Section G The Place To Be said:

Sky only care about England and Wales (I Include wales because Welsh teams also play in the English league) The reason they only care about England is the size of market. England have 55 million give or take a few of a population. Scotland has 5.5 million. 

 

Scottish football has no pulling power. We are stuck in a time warp up here with the backward thinking Regan's and Doncasters. It is hardly a good  advert for our game. These idiots have shown time and time again they are interested only in themselves and that of the OF. There is no get up and go to revolutionise the game here and give it a stand out over the EPL or other leagues. Something like summer football  and a winter shut down might help. No other football is broadcast during the summer unless its the world cup or Euros. When its a year when either of these are on its easy to close down the top league for 4 weeks. I believe TV companies will fall over themselves to broadcast summer football. 

 

A complete revamp of the Scottish leagues is needed. This playing each other 4 times a season is pish. It is only being kept to satisfy the OF and Sky. So thy can have their 4 bigot fests a season. 

 

Sadly I think we (Fans) missed out chance several years ago when Sevco went tits up. Then was the time to invoke change, we had them by the short and curlies at that point. Club owners were panicking because of threats of boycotts by the fans. The sheep molesters caved in and shat out changing the voting structure. 

 

There is only one way Scottish football will ever change for the better and that is a combined effort by all fans and fan groups to pressure the change. I've said it before on here, club owners and chairmen/woman only listen when their pockets are being threatened. As long as fans turn up every season and hand over our cash like lemmings and do nothing about it. We will always be having these discussions. 

 

 

It really annoys me that we had our chance and did nothing.

 

 

[Jambo92]

15 minutes ago, steven_mck said:

Football is cyclical and like anything else, things always change. UEFA will also shake things up. Just look at how things were 30 - 35 years ago. So one day the big two won't be. Admit could take a while because of disparity now.

 

It will never claw back, the league and SFA are so inept and corrupt that they have let it get into a state of disrepair, won't be long until we won't be able to compete with Conference North/South teams for players/wages. 

 

It stems from the hatred in Glasgow, the desire to be better than the other (which ironically is positive) has led to years of corruption and cheating and left the league in a total mess.  If it wasn't for the passion of the Scottish fans then we would be on par with leagues in Wales and Ireland just now.

[Bainy]

Celtic are miles ahead and will only get further ahead in years to come.

Rangers have made complete hash of things since they came back as part 2. They will never get near Celtic and that wont suit the fans who will demand more and all that will result in is another admin. Dave king and co cannot continue to fire soft loans in every year to keep them afloat and they wont get near the champions league where lets be honest is the only way for a Scottish club to make money.

 

We are in a great position with FOH and all that is going on around the club but we will never get near Celtic.

[SuperstarSteve]

15 minutes ago, EIEIO said:

Currently we are closer to the huns financially than we have been for decades.  I see this as a positive. Celtic are boosted by champions league money but they are makeweights when they reach the group stages. A few years of failing to qualify for the group stages will impact them severely.

After 18 months of on field stagnation we are improving fast, off the field we have never been in better shape financially.

Comparing ourselves to English football financially is futile.

 

 

This for me is the biggest problem, a club that died and never payed their debts and are currently in millions of debt, will be finishing above us on a regular basis because they an afford to offer thousands that we can’t lol, League is finished and SFA are completely to blame 

[Hungry hippo]

Surely Morelos is worth more than £25m on his own.

[Psychedelicropcircle]

One day the weeg arse cheeks will **** off into some Atlantic league & we the other teams in the league must tell them to **** right off altogether. If you ask me this Colt team pish being placed in a lower league in makeweight incase we do.

 

 

 

yours cynically.... 

[Section G The Place To Be]

5 minutes ago, SuperstarSteve said:

This for me is the biggest problem, a club that died and never payed their debts and are currently in millions of debt, will be finishing above us on a regular basis because they an afford to offer thousands that we can’t lol, League is finished and SFA are completely to blame 

 

Much of this is true, but compare Sevco's income to ours. we have 14,000 season tickets holder, they have nearly 50,000. Their hospitality and corporate is bigger and more expensive. They have far bigger merchandising sales, and they also have much bigger advertising and sponsorship income. 

 

This myth that some people have that we are somehow on a par with them is nonsense. The OF have always and will always be far bigger clubs than anyone else in Scotland, no one will ever get near in terms of revenue.

 

All that said it is not impossible to challenge them given the right setup and framework within the game. Aberdeen and Dundee Utd did it, we have done it and have come close recently to challenging them. An even playing field in terms of distribution of league money and TV money and league revamp that does not pander to the OF games would be a huge start. 

[doctor jambo]

Outside Celtic the league is stronger than ever before- far more even .

Rangers losing with regularity and hilarity to St J, Killie and so on

 

Celtic are far too well run for Rangers to catch and genuinely have a war chest in case that ever looks like stopping.

In a few years with the way things are going for us we could genuinely be second on a regular basis, not something I would have seen happeneing

[SuperstarSteve]

2 minutes ago, Section G The Place To Be said:

 

Much of this is true, but compare Sevco's income to ours. we have 14,000 season tickets holder, they have nearly 50,000. Their hospitality and corporate is bigger and more expensive. They have far bigger merchandising sales, and they also have much bigger advertising and sponsorship income. 

 

This myth that some people have that we are somehow on a par with them is nonsense. The OF have always and will always be far bigger clubs than anyone else in Scotland, no one will ever get near in terms of revenue.

 

All that said it is not impossible to challenge them given the right setup and framework within the game. Aberdeen and Dundee Utd did it, we have done it and have come close recently to challenging them. An even playing field in terms of distribution of league money and TV money and league revamp that does not pander to the OF games would be a huge start. 

I don’t disagree with a word of your first post, neither do I disagree with this one, nail on the head.

 

Fan power is a real thing, I just wish everybody outside the old firm in Scottish football would use it, the league being expanded is something a think would bring more competitiveness into the game.

 

As far as I’m aware we aren’t allowed to expand because sky will pull the plug on our TV deal without 4 old firms a season, I just can’t follow or be in invested in a league that panders to 2 clubs only, no matter how big or important they are to Scottish football, the rest of us matter just as much, something the SFA will never agree with. 

[SE16 3LN]

So ****ing what, Girly Thug Scott Brown still had to assault a 16 year old to salvage his worm like ego. **** the disparity and get into the *****.

[andsoitbegins]

Are these figures based on what the Daily Record says Rangers players are worth? 

[Ibrahim Tall]

1 hour ago, BigDave'sHeed said:

Scottish football is ****ed.

 

The SFA won't care as long as  Celtic are doing ok and rangers are improving.

 

Shame.

 

Sky have also ****ed us. 

For example, Teams like Bournemouth, Brighton and Huddersfield are now seen as bigger and better moves than Celtic.

 

Tragic state.

 

 

This.

As much as i detest the OF, on 'size' they should be two of the biggest clubs in Europe. That we're in the ridiculous situation where even mediocre Championship clubs can outspend and seem a better option for players doesn't hold out much hope for the rest of Scotland

[Mollo]

Does it take into account the fact that clubs like Celtic continue to get INCREASED fees for players, in line with the market trend (Petrov in 2006 = £6.5m, Van Dijk in 2015 = £11.5m). Whereas we seem to be outside the market trend.. (Gordon in 2007 = £9m... yet nowadays we can't even get above £1m for a player)

 

Grim

[SpikeDudley]

57 minutes ago, Section G The Place To Be said:

Sky only care about England and Wales (I Include wales because Welsh teams also play in the English league) The reason they only care about England is the size of market. England have 55 million give or take a few of a population. Scotland has 5.5 million. 

 

Scottish football has no pulling power. We are stuck in a time warp up here with the backward thinking Regan's and Doncasters. It is hardly a good  advert for our game. These idiots have shown time and time again they are interested only in themselves and that of the OF. There is no get up and go to revolutionise the game here and give it a stand out over the EPL or other leagues. Something like summer football  and a winter shut down might help. No other football is broadcast during the summer unless its the world cup or Euros. When its a year when either of these are on its easy to close down the top league for 4 weeks. I believe TV companies will fall over themselves to broadcast summer football. 

 

A complete revamp of the Scottish leagues is needed. This playing each other 4 times a season is pish. It is only being kept to satisfy the OF and Sky. So thy can have their 4 bigot fests a season. 

 

Sadly I think we (Fans) missed out chance several years ago when Sevco went tits up. Then was the time to invoke change, we had them by the short and curlies at that point. Club owners were panicking because of threats of boycotts by the fans. The sheep molesters caved in and shat out changing the voting structure. 

 

There is only one way Scottish football will ever change for the better and that is a combined effort by all fans and fan groups to pressure the change. I've said it before on here, club owners and chairmen/woman only listen when their pockets are being threatened. As long as fans turn up every season and hand over our cash like lemmings and do nothing about it. We will always be having these discussions. 

 

There is no reason to not just fold the Scottish setup altogether and have a British league.

 

Of course, we'd probably never get into Europe ever again which would be a downside...

[OTT]

I wonder what we would need to do to grow our turnover from £12m to £20m ? 

 

Obviously doing well in europe and actually qualifying for the group stages would bring in a bit of money but what could be done to grow to make that our basic income? The simple answer is stadium capacity and bums on seats but that isn't really feasible. Hopefully over the next few seasons we might see further growth in the stadium and see extensions added to the stands if demand, demands (:D) but also if circumstances permit. 

 

I really hope the folk running the foundation are looking into revenue generating schemes which could bring further money into the club through non-footballing means. Its a tough one because due to the SFA's incompetence in negotiating a tv deal the onus is really on us to find ways to increase the turnover ourselves. Could a million of Foh be put aside to act as a 'pension fund' type deal where its invested long term and profits reinvested in the club? (Just spitballing an idea)

[kimosavi]

Our game is corrupt to the core 

 

All the way down From the SFA and refs down to the media outlets across the nation

 

Its everywhere 

 

Even down to TV Highlights 

 

Our 3-1 loss to celtic showed all 4 goals and around 7 celtic chances, yet no replay of browns challenge on cochrane and even covered the introduction of celtics loan signing from chelsea coming on thr pitch. Yet when we horse them 4-0 at tynie we had our 4 goals and thats it. It stinks from top to bottom 

[itsnomarooned]

1 hour ago, Oliver Twist said:

 

Wealthy individuals are buying Conference club's. Sky pulling the plug won't matter a jot.

 

The question is why are wealthy people investing and why are they not interested in Scottish football and if they where would people want it any way?

Not sure about this.  I imagine that wealthy individuals are buying these clubs to tap into the massive exposure that comes with the TV deals - take these away and there's much less business (or whatever) incentive.

I don't agree our game is dying or anything but we absolutely need some innovative thinking and, crucially, all clubs acting together to better the game, and by extension, themselves (herein lies the problem I suspect).  I'd like to see us try league reconstruction in some manner and moving the season so that we're playing over the summer.  There's a whole couple of months where folk will want to watch football (and bet on it etc.) and we could be the only game in town.  If it doesn't work then fine, but let's at least give it a go.

[The Old Tolbooth]

1 hour ago, steven_mck said:

Football is cyclical and like anything else, things always change. UEFA will also shake things up. Just look at how things were 30 - 35 years ago. So one day the big two won't be. Admit could take a while because of disparity now.

 

I disagree mate, football used to be cyclical where everyone would have a wee turn at the top, but not any more, not since money and sheer greed came into play. 

 

UEFA did shake things up ages ago, they made it so the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer, which basically lines their own corrupt pockets at the same time. Take European football for instance, it used to be an open draw with no seeding bias, and those were the days it was actually worth qualifying for, you were pretty much guaranteed a decent team home and away, and if you get through that, guaranteed another decent team, it was exciting, nowadays we have to play teams from Malta, Estonia, Luxembourg (no disrespect to these teams as they've been beating our lot too), it's hardly inspiring and has a knock on effect. 

 

Even our ties against Spurs and Liverpool are the proverbial brick wall we need to try and climb over just to get a place in the Europa League group stages proper, it's probably never going to happen again as money has well and truly tarnished our game, and UEFA sit back and skim the cream off the top because they're the most bent of the lot of them! 

 

The situation where Celtic are right now is exactly what UEFA created, and what the SFA want, because they want a Scottish representative in among the elite, and that just happens to be Celtic, nothing else matters in Scottish football any more other than Celtic appearing in the Champions League, paying them ridiculous sums of money, and making the gap even wider as to stifle any competition they might have domestically. It's to the detriment of every one else in the league, and the only thing I chuckle about is that with a bit of luck, Rangers might go under again trying to stop Celtic getting their ten in a row. 

 

I really hope England take the Old Firm in and leave us to get on with it, because then we could potentially have different league winners every season, I really like the idea of that. 

[SuperstarSteve]

10 minutes ago, itsnomarooned said:

Not sure about this.  I imagine that wealthy individuals are buying these clubs to tap into the massive exposure that comes with the TV deals - take these away and there's much less business (or whatever) incentive.

I don't agree our game is dying or anything but we absolutely need some innovative thinking and, crucially, all clubs acting together to better the game, and by extension, themselves (herein lies the problem I suspect).  I'd like to see us try league reconstruction in some manner and moving the season so that we're playing over the summer.  There's a whole couple of months where folk will want to watch football (and bet on it etc.) and we could be the only game in town.  If it doesn't work then fine, but let's at least give it a go.

League contstruction is off the table because we must have 4 old firm games per season, I love the positivity of some fans but the league is finished,  the things that need changed won’t happen because the leaders of our game pander to 2 clubs. I wish we would have a go mate, a really do. 

[i8hibsh]

I take it the Hibs figure does not include wee inbred puss? He is worth 10 million at least.

[EIEIO]

3 minutes ago, johnmitchell said:

 

I disagree mate, football used to be cyclical where everyone would have a wee turn at the top, but not any more, not since money and sheer greed came into play. 

 

UEFA did shake things up ages ago, they made it so the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer, which basically lines their own corrupt pockets at the same time. Take European football for instance, it used to be an open draw with no seeding bias, and those were the days it was actually worth qualifying for, you were pretty much guaranteed a decent team home and away, and if you get through that, guaranteed another decent team, it was exciting, nowadays we have to play teams from Malta, Estonia, Luxembourg (no disrespect to these teams as they've been beating our lot too), it's hardly inspiring and has a knock on effect. 

 

Even our ties against Spurs and Liverpool are the proverbial brick wall we need to try and climb over just to get a place in the Europa League group stages proper, it's probably never going to happen again as money has well and truly tarnished our game, and UEFA sit back and skim the cream off the top because they're the most bent of the lot of them! 

 

The situation where Celtic are right now is exactly what UEFA created, and what the SFA want, because they want a Scottish representative in among the elite, and that just happens to be Celtic, nothing else matters in Scottish football any more other than Celtic appearing in the Champions League, paying them ridiculous sums of money, and making the gap even wider as to stifle any competition they might have domestically. It's to the detriment of every one else in the league, and the only thing I chuckle about is that with a bit of luck, Rangers might go under again trying to stop Celtic getting their ten in a row. 

 

I really hope England take the Old Firm in and leave us to get on with it, because then we could potentially have different league winners every season, I really like the idea of that. 

UEFA created this to avoid a breakaway champions / European league. In future if the elite clubs are unhappy Celtic etc will be cut adrift and will need to be happy with qualifying for the Europa league.

[The Treasurer]

Slightly off topic in a way and not sure if it's been mentioned, but the BBC have just announced a new package for MotD worth around £215m.

Remind me how much the BRITISH Broadcasting Corporation pay to show Scottish football.

 

As has been pointed out, Scottish football is only reflecting what is happening throughout Europe with a few elite clubs picking up a massive percentage of the revenue available resulting in them moving further and further away from the rest.

UEFA are happy to assist with this so long as the cash keeps rolling in from the CL

The SPFL/SFA have a similar (albeit much smaller scale) outlook, ensuring two clubs far outstrip the financial muscle of the rest, as long as they (the blazers) keep their lucrative perks.

[Lucille's Thirsty]

5 minutes ago, i8hibsh said:

I take it the Hibs figure does not include wee inbred puss? He is worth 10 million at least.

 

“wee inbred puss”

 

 

I was triggered.

[i8hibsh]

12 minutes ago, Lucille's Thirsty said:

 

“wee inbred puss”

 

 

I was triggered.

 

Apologies that was Un-PC

 

How about Diminutive famially intrinsic face?

 

 

 

[alwaysthereinspirit]

Until all club owners (outwith Celtic/Newco) get together and force change. Then there will be no change.

Rangers going under and the outrage shown by club fans prior to the attempt to shoehorn a replacement for them directly into the top league showed what could be done. Club fans appealed to their own clubs to do the right thing. What eventually transpired was not 100% legal but was probably more than we thought would ever be likely to happen. The SFA and media once more showed their true colors. Save the OF at any and all costs.

An uneven split of TV money would appear to most sports fans in any other sport or country to be slightly unfair at best. Somehow Scottish football voted for it.

We give them carte blanche on anything coming up through the voting system. This has always amazed me. The 2 yes/no votes being the over riding of all else is just unbelievable in the 21st century. We reap what we sow but that needs to change first before anything else can.

Maybe, just maybe Mrs Budge and/or Hearts can be the catalyst.

[Neon]

1 hour ago, Section G The Place To Be said:

Sky only care about England and Wales (I Include wales because Welsh teams also play in the English league) The reason they only care about England is the size of market. England have 55 million give or take a few of a population. Scotland has 5.5 million. 

 

Scottish football has no pulling power. We are stuck in a time warp up here with the backward thinking Regan's and Doncasters. It is hardly a good  advert for our game. These idiots have shown time and time again they are interested only in themselves and that of the OF. There is no get up and go to revolutionise the game here and give it a stand out over the EPL or other leagues. Something like summer football  and a winter shut down might help. No other football is broadcast during the summer unless its the world cup or Euros. When its a year when either of these are on its easy to close down the top league for 4 weeks. I believe TV companies will fall over themselves to broadcast summer football. 

 

A complete revamp of the Scottish leagues is needed. This playing each other 4 times a season is pish. It is only being kept to satisfy the OF and Sky. So thy can have their 4 bigot fests a season. 

 

Sadly I think we (Fans) missed out chance several years ago when Sevco went tits up. Then was the time to invoke change, we had them by the short and curlies at that point. Club owners were panicking because of threats of boycotts by the fans. The sheep molesters caved in and shat out changing the voting structure. 

 

There is only one way Scottish football will ever change for the better and that is a combined effort by all fans and fan groups to pressure the change. I've said it before on here, club owners and chairmen/woman only listen when their pockets are being threatened. As long as fans turn up every season and hand over our cash like lemmings and do nothing about it. We will always be having these discussions. 

Good post, however it is all very well voting with your feet and the SFA know the next part all to well.

 

The majority will still attend because their affiliation is to the club not the league, and do not wish to see their club die - Rangers incarnate maybe the exception.

 

We are controlled by fear, no movement will exist as we don't as a collective support have the backbone.

 

Revisit the same conversation in another 30 years time just like we did with the atlantic league or whatever it was.

[Clark Griswold]

The rich get richer, the poor get poorer. 

 

Wonder where I’ve heard that before....

[Section G The Place To Be]

3 minutes ago, neonjambo said:

Good post, however it is all very well voting with your feet and the SFA know the next part all to well.

 

The majority will still attend because their affiliation is to the club not the league, and do not wish to see their club die - Rangers incarnate maybe the exception.

 

We are controlled by fear, no movement will exist as we don't as a collective support have the backbone.

 

Revisit the same conversation in another 30 years time just like we did with the atlantic league or whatever it was.

 

Totally agree. One club cannot make a stance and try to influence change. It has to be a collective. After all is said and don the SFA will not see every club leave, they will never throw out 38 clubs and have a 2 team league, so collectively they need all the clubs. It needs a club or group of fans to seriously start some kind of group for change. They need to stick at it though, change doesn't happen overnight, it would take a while to get the momentum going but I'm sure once it did others will soon join. Pressure has to be put on the SFA as well as the SPFL and club owners. Football is for the fans not the corporate bodies with their champagne hospitality suites, many of whom have never even been to a game before never mind support a team. Without the fans football is no more. The games bigwigs have forgotten that along the way as they line their own pockets.  

[Deevers]

19 minutes ago, Clark Griswold said:

The rich get richer, the poor get poorer. 

 

Wonder where I’ve heard that before....

It doesn't help when the salaried executives supposedly running the game here more or less talked the game down here during the Rangers "liquidation fiasco".  I wonder how much crediblity they cost the game here with their rather pathetic comments. Both of them should have been sacked immediately.   

[Shooter McGavin]

There are players who have won nothing that are worth more than our entire game. Scottish football is s*** but I love Hearts.

[John Findlay]

Since clubs stupidly, imo, agreed to retaining all home gate money instead of splitting. To me this has hastened the large financial disparity between the two and the rest.

[Des' Dad]

In fairness, the English premier league is in a similar situation with the top five or six clubs wealthier than the rest by a country mile and the gap is increasing all the time. The only light on the horizon there is that Leicester City FC were able to break the mould and become champions a couple of years ago against all the odds. Most leagues in Europe have one or two clubs who are financially streets ahead of the rest and it's the same clubs who win there respective championships year after year.

[OTT]

Fundamentally we need a change at the top, I don't believe either Doncaster or Regan are strong enough characters or leaders of our game. Doncaster comes across as a snivelling bumbling buffoon. Quite happy to put his salary up whilst the game is on its knees. Not leading by example, moreover it seems like he's clinging to the power he has rather than seeking to do anything ambitious which might lead to greater financial well being for the clubs he is meant to represent. 

 

If there was one thing I'd beg Budge to publicly push for is open elections for Doncaster and Regans jobs. Neither are up to task. Thankfully, neither will be here forever, however they will both be replaced with more snivelling OF sympathetic yes men with no appetite for change.

 

I've said this before but I genuinely believe it needs looked into due to how unbelievably poor it is, If the TV deal was improved it would be the OF which would have most to lose. We aren't attractive enough a league to get a deal which would make us competitive with Germany, England, Spain or France, however we could in theory get something similar to Portugal, Norway or another 2nd tier league. Lets say hypothetically every club got £5m additonal to spend:

For Celtic this would be representative of about 8% of their income

For Hearts this would be representative of about 40% of our income 

 

Therefore, it would make the other 10 clubs significantly more competitive whilst offering very little to the OF meaning Lawwell would need to spend more to maintain their advantage. He is also responsible for negotiating the TV deal with Doncaster and Sky & BT Correct (Source: https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/spl-loses-17m-in-tv-deal-1198156 )?? Is that not a clear conflict of interest as it is not in Celtics interest to increase league revenue. 

[Des' Dad]

Would a transfer system similar to the one operating in American Football work in our game and more to the point, would the current crop of mega-wealthy clubs ever agree to make the game more equal? This is a fairly good explanation of how the draft system operates in the states and it seems to work as far as making the game more competitive and equal.

 http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/american-football/36152275

[colinmaroon]

11 minutes ago, Des' Dad said:

Would a transfer system similar to the one operating in American Football work in our game and more to the point, would the current crop of mega-wealthy clubs ever agree to make the game more equal? This is a fairly good explanation of how the draft system operates in the states and it seems to work as far as making the game more competitive and equal.

 http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/american-football/36152275

 

 

Problem is the Celtic turkeys won't vote for Christmas and, although the Sevco turkeys are a drumstick short of the whole bird, they'll not doing anything that may potentially limit them in the future - if they have one (Sevco Mk2/3/4)

[The Treasurer]

1 hour ago, Deevers said:

It doesn't help when the salaried executives supposedly running the game here more or less talked the game down here during the Rangers "liquidation fiasco".  I wonder how much crediblity they cost the game here with their rather pathetic comments. Both of them should have been sacked immediately.   

Correct.

Could you imagine Eccleston saying F1 would be shite if Hamilton isn't driving or the PGA saying the Open will die because Tiger Woods isn't playing.

One of their main objectives is to promote the game AS A WHOLE, not just the game involving 2 clubs.

For that reason alone they should have been emptied long ago