SPFL and Covid ( Leagues 1 and 2 to restart )

[Sooperstar]

3 minutes ago, Barack said:

Well, he's your mate isn't he?. So I'd expect you to weigh in. 

 

Hardly worked up, Soop. But thanks for the reply. Wash those handies too.👍🏻 

Brother, but I'm not exactly known for sticking up for my mates on here. More likely to be the opposite in fact. Just saying what I see.

[OTT]

23 minutes ago, Barack said:

SKY won't walk away from the deal. It's scare-mongering at its base level on both sides. Especially when there's £8million sitting in just the SPFL's account alone right now that can be distributed for teams in dire need. If SKY want it that badly, then they can pay for an individual test for Covid-19.

 

Let's say 24 in a squad × 42 teams =1008

Let's say 15 backroom staff x 42 (est avg.) = 630. Then the referees and assistants. Probably a shade under 2000 kits/tests. Now, assume they are ALL fit and healthy. 

 

Then why should football take precedence over front-line NHS, emergency services and care workers? Because people are bored on a Saturday? Nah.

 

If Scottish football takes the hit and some fall down the cracks due to financial ****wittery, and years of self-serving gerrymandering behind the scenes, now exacerbated by this current situation...then so be it. Call their bluff. SKY pull out on deals, they lose customers all over the place. Then BT, RT or Iranian TV will come straight back in. Might be lower, but they would. Because the market is there. Therefore the profit.

 

I'm tempted to say **** it, let them. 

 

If Sky walk away a creative modern solution could be required due to how little money is actually at stake (relative to England etc.). Could we set up an online streaming service? Charge people a flat fee each month, amalgamate Club TV channels together to improve content? Realistically we're looking to create something which can generate enough money to sustain teams, thats around £32m a season for parity with our shite tv deal at present. The clubs already all have the hardware and resources to do this, so why not try and show a little ambition and try, if we fail so be it. 

 

Whatever the solution, Scottish football needs leadership, vision and ambition. All 3 of which its CEO lacks in abundance. 

[Last Laff]

28 minutes ago, Barack said:

SKY won't walk away from the deal. It's scare-mongering at its base level on both sides. Especially when there's £8million sitting in just the SPFL's account alone right now that can be distributed for teams in dire need. If SKY want it that badly, then they can pay for an individual test for Covid-19.

 

Let's say 24 in a squad × 42 teams =1008

Let's say 15 backroom staff x 42 (est avg.) = 630. Then the referees and assistants. Probably a shade under 2000 kits/tests. Now, assume they are ALL fit and healthy. 

 

Then why should football take precedence over front-line NHS, emergency services and care workers? Because people are bored on a Saturday? Nah.

 

If Scottish football takes the hit and some fall down the cracks due to financial ****wittery, and years of self-serving gerrymandering behind the scenes, now exacerbated by this current situation...then so be it. Call their bluff. SKY pull out on deals, they lose customers all over the place. Then BT, RT or Iranian TV will come straight back in. Might be lower, but they would. Because the market is there. Therefore the profit.

While all that completely makes sense and I wholeheartedly agree with that do you think the SPFL board and the clubs will see it that way? Not a chance!  They will want as much money as they can get as soon as they can. 

[Last Laff]

1 minute ago, OTT said:

 

I'm tempted to say **** it, let them. 

 

If Sky walk away a creative modern solution could be required due to how little money is actually at stake (relative to England etc.). Could we set up an online streaming service? Charge people a flat fee each month, amalgamate Club TV channels together to improve content? Realistically we're looking to create something which can generate enough money to sustain teams, thats around £32m a season for parity with our shite tv deal at present. The clubs already all have the hardware and resources to do this, so why not try and show a little ambition and try, if we fail so be it. 

 

Whatever the solution, Scottish football needs leadership, vision and ambition. All 3 of which its CEO lacks in abundance. 

Independently people would have the “**** it” attitude but the SPL tv idea lost Scottish football a lot of money the last time and they wouldn’t have the guts to do similar especially at time of crisis.  TV companies will be losing money throughout this time also you have to remember, quite a lot of money in fact. 

[luckydug]

1 minute ago, OTT said:

 

I'm tempted to say **** it, let them. 

 

If Sky walk away a creative modern solution could be required due to how little money is actually at stake (relative to England etc.). Could we set up an online streaming service? Charge people a flat fee each month, amalgamate Club TV channels together to improve content? Realistically we're looking to create something which can generate enough money to sustain teams, thats around £32m a season for parity with our shite tv deal at present. The clubs already all have the hardware and resources to do this, so why not try and show a little ambition and try, if we fail so be it. 

 

Whatever the solution, Scottish football needs leadership, vision and ambition. All 3 of which its CEO lacks in abundance. 

If we get relegated why should we bother about Sky ?

Not as they will filming the Scottish Championship. 

[Mikey1874]

44 minutes ago, Footballfirst said:

A poster on the SFM Blog has posted the following as an account of the video conference held between the SFA, SPFL and the clubs. I've no reason to believe that the poster hasn't provided an accurate account of what went on.

 

 

 

 

UEFA meeting is 23 April it seems not 23 June though that later date may be significant.

[Auldreekie1874]

Budge on SSN, says she has spoken to championship and premier clubs and expects the proposal to fail.

 

Also says however that if we are relegated she won't fight it and we will just have to deal with it.

[Last Laff]

1 minute ago, Auldreekie1874 said:

Budge on SSN, says she has spoken to championship and premier clubs and expects the proposal to fail.

 

Also says however that if we are relegated she won't fight it and we will just have to deal with it.

Ffs. 

[BerraBelieveit]

Give out money now to help clubs survive while ensuring the season is completed no matter how far away that is - cram the eight remaining games into a one month period and do behind closed doors if need be.

 

The thing angering a lot of people is the convenience.

 

Staying up is in Hearts hands and we don't need to rely on any results from elsewhere. We are six points behind Ross County with a far superior goal difference and have to play them twice unless they get top six which they won't but if they did they'd beat St Mirren pre split which again, us winning all of our games - we'd surpass St Mirren. I am not saying we will win all of our games, far from it but it is entirely in Hearts hands which I think is extremely vital. I've not even mentioned Hamilton who are closer. I am aware how bad we've been, I've been at all of them - but even after our most recent embarrassment - if all games are concluded, do I think we will stay up? Absolutely 100% yes.

 

Flip that around, if Celtic were 6 points behind Rangers with 2 Old Firms games remaining, would they hand out the trophy based on 30 games?

If Hearts were 1 point clear of both Celtic and Rangers and had to play them both twice, would they hand out the trophy based on 30 games?

 

In the above two scenarios they'd finish the season and would explore every option apart from end it as is or null and void.

[Romulus]

5 minutes ago, Auldreekie1874 said:

Budge on SSN, says she has spoken to championship and premier clubs and expects the proposal to fail.

 

Also says however that if we are relegated she won't fight it and we will just have to deal with it.

Surely not? That contradicts what has been said previously?

[Ribble]

32 minutes ago, Barack said:

SKY won't walk away from the deal. It's scare-mongering at its base level on both sides. Especially when there's £8million sitting in just the SPFL's account alone right now that can be distributed for teams in dire need. If SKY want it that badly, then they can pay for an individual test for Covid-19.

 

Let's say 24 in a squad × 42 teams =1008

Let's say 15 backroom staff x 42 (est avg.) = 630. Then the referees and assistants. Probably a shade under 2000 kits/tests. Now, assume they are ALL fit and healthy. 

 

Then why should football take precedence over front-line NHS, emergency services and care workers? Because people are bored on a Saturday? Nah.

 

If Scottish football takes the hit and some fall down the cracks due to financial ****wittery, and years of self-serving gerrymandering behind the scenes, now exacerbated by this current situation...then so be it. Call their bluff. SKY pull out on deals, they lose customers all over the place. Then BT, RT or Iranian TV will come straight back in. Might be lower, but they would. Because the market is there. Therefore the profit.

 

Maybe 10 or even 5 years ago, now? not so much, Sky's strategy over the last few years is to have an individual 'hook' for each member of the household so even if Dad's not getting Scottish Football and want's to bin Sky then mum and the kids argue to keep it for the content they watch. Even without that, Sky get the figures on what Sky Sports subscribers actually watch and the number that exclusively watch Scottish Football is a tiny % so while lots of people will moan about Scottish Football getting a bum deal, they will keep their subscriptions to watch EPL, Golf, NFL etc 

 

When it comes to broadcast rights for Scottish Football we are our own worst enemy (and I include myself in that), unlike the EPL where fans of every club will watch Man U v Chelsea at 4pm on a Sunday, scottish fans watch their team and very little else! If Live v St Mirren is on at the same time as an EPL game, how many folk do you think (other than Livi and St Mirren fans) actually opt for that over the EPL game?

 

[EIEIO]

Livi supporting motion , statement issued. One of the few away grounds I go to or used to go to.

[Forever Hearts]

6 minutes ago, Auldreekie1874 said:

Budge on SSN, says she has spoken to championship and premier clubs and expects the proposal to fail.

 

Also says however that if we are relegated she won't fight it and we will just have to deal with it.

She really has our backs.🙄

[Ribble]

Just now, EIEIO said:

Livi supporting motion , statement issued. One of the few away grounds I go to or used to go to.

 

Stinking, non entity of a club kept alive by smack money. Hope their finances are well and truly audited and they are thrown out the league in that case.

[David McCaig]

8 minutes ago, Auldreekie1874 said:

Budge on SSN, says she has spoken to championship and premier clubs and expects the proposal to fail.

 

Also says however that if we are relegated she won't fight it and we will just have to deal with it.

Budge's legacy and reputation very much resting on her ability to influence other chairman before Friday then!!

[alanjambo]

Livingston have said they'll support the motion.  I was hoping that they'd be one of those who'd say no to it.  We always bring loads there.

[Last Laff]

3 minutes ago, EIEIO said:

Livi supporting motion , statement issued. One of the few away grounds I go to or used to go to.

They aren’t voting to vote us down, they are voting for the season to end in the leagues below. 

[EIEIO]

9 minutes ago, Auldreekie1874 said:

Budge on SSN, says she has spoken to championship and premier clubs and expects the proposal to fail.

 

Also says however that if we are relegated she won't fight it and we will just have to deal with it.

I will wait until after the votes are cast  , these ****ers speak with a forked tongue.

[EIEIO]

Just now, Ribble said:

 

Stinking, non entity of a club kept alive by smack money. Hope their finances are well and truly audited and they are thrown out the league in that case.

Couldn't have put it better myself.

[Auldreekie1874]

3 minutes ago, Mort said:

Surely not? That contradicts what has been said previously?

 

"i'm not going to fight it til the death, If we have to deal with relegation then we'll deal with relegation"

 

Should be repeated on ssn again soon

 

 

[Last Laff]

Just now, alanjambo said:

Livingston have said they'll support the motion.  I was hoping that they'd be one of those who'd say no to it.  We always bring loads there.

You didn’t expect them to want the league to be voided and get prize money for finishing 9th last year instead of 5th this year IF there’s a further vote to end the Premier League? 

[EIEIO]

2 minutes ago, Last Laff said:

They aren’t voting to vote us down, they are voting for the season to end in the leagues below. 

Is that an option?

[OTT]

12 minutes ago, Last Laff said:

Independently people would have the “**** it” attitude but the SPL tv idea lost Scottish football a lot of money the last time and they wouldn’t have the guts to do similar especially at time of crisis.  TV companies will be losing money throughout this time also you have to remember, quite a lot of money in fact. 

 

I would argue that nowadays people readily have internet access in virtually every home across the country and, more importantly in foreign markets. Countries like Canada/Australia/USA/New Zealand all have not insignificant Scottish/Irish heritage and I think they are markets that would buy into it. 

 

We wouldn't be launching a TV channel, it would be an online website where you could watch football, check news etc. SFA could produce a range of content which isn't club related - Open goal for example, the possibilities are endless.  Less and less young people are watching TV, most get their media fix online and thats the market we should be aiming for. 

 

I don't have all the answers but I do believe it would work, and if it didn't we're not exactly sacrificing being kings of Europe. I'd rather try and fail than continue to watch Sky undersell Scottish football. Their coverage is pathetic and has always been pathetic. 

 

Its also a bloody dangerous threat for Sky because if we succeed why would England stick around? And I ****ing hate Sky  

[Ribble]

3 minutes ago, Last Laff said:

You didn’t expect them to want the league to be voided and get prize money for finishing 9th last year instead of 5th this year IF there’s a further vote to end the Premier League? 

 

I'd expect them not to want the team that gives them the third biggest cash boost from away ticket sales relegated 

[Last Laff]

2 minutes ago, OTT said:

 

I would argue that nowadays people readily have internet access in virtually every home across the country and, more importantly in foreign markets. Countries like Canada/Australia/USA/New Zealand all have not insignificant Scottish/Irish heritage and I think they are markets that would buy into it. 

 

We wouldn't be launching a TV channel, it would be an online website where you could watch football, check news etc. SFA could produce a range of content which isn't club related - Open goal for example, the possibilities are endless.  Less and less young people are watching TV, most get their media fix online and thats the market we should be aiming for. 

 

I don't have all the answers but I do believe it would work, and if it didn't we're not exactly sacrificing being kings of Europe. I'd rather try and fail than continue to watch Sky undersell Scottish football. Their coverage is pathetic and has always been pathetic. 

 

Its also a bloody dangerous threat for Sky because if we succeed why would England stick around? And I ****ing hate Sky  

I would be all for it, but we all know there’s more chance of me getting a gam from Catherine Jenkins than Doncaster doing it. 

[Last Laff]

2 minutes ago, Ribble said:

 

I'd expect them not to want the team that gives them the third biggest cash boost from away ticket sales relegated 

They haven’t voted to relegate hearts though. They have voted to leave the league like it is if the league can’t continue and it’s agreed in a couple of months. 

[David McCaig]

No mention whatsoever in the Livingston statement of League reconstruction!!!!

[Jee]

2 minutes ago, David McCaig said:

No mention whatsoever in the Livingston statement of League reconstruction!!!!

 

Probably because it's a total pipe dream.

[1971fozzy]

Clear that there’s no chance of fighting it legally then , the cost of doing so against legal advice would be fatal for us Id imagine.

 

looks like we could be stuffed after all. As I’ve said before long memories called for in the event we do go down.

[Mikey1874]

1 minute ago, jonnothejambo said:

 

Yep. Totally. 

 

She has obviously been tipped the wink that a legal challenge would be futile and costly.  

 

However, relegation would also be costly. 

 

 

 

Doesn't mean she still isn't going to challenge it. "Not going to fight it till the death" was the quote. 

[Clerry Jambo]

7 minutes ago, jonnothejambo said:

 

They are like catfish. Namely bottom feeders. 

 

Indeed. A river monsters man like masel jonno🐋

[Mikey1874]

3 minutes ago, David McCaig said:

No mention whatsoever in the Livingston statement of League reconstruction!!!!

 

Just now, Jee said:

 

Probably because it's a total pipe dream.

 

Yeah

 

They may know  there is no chance 

[David McCaig]

Just now, Jee said:

 

Probably because it's a total pipe dream.

You don't say!!!!

 

If League reconstruction was going to happen we'd be voting on it this week.

[GorgieRules22]

Time for Ann Budge to pack her bags then, thanks for everything but you’ve helped land us back in the shit with your blind loyalty to your pal.

[Forever Hearts]

Back where we started under her. Thanks, Ann. 

[Sooperstar]

28 minutes ago, Barack said:

Maybe I'm being over sensitive then, having a family member in icu with it. 

 

You say what you see then, I'll do the same and I'll tell your brother to **** off and stop being a condescending twat, and we can carry on with our day's. 

 

Lovely. Enjoy yours.

Yeah, probably a bit of time away would do you good.

 

Fingers crossed for your relative.

[Clerry Jambo]

Ewan Murray

 

@mrewanmurray

 

This is subject to ongoing negotiation, obviously, but it's now far from certain the SPFL has enough support to pass its resolution... including in the top flight.

[Jee]

5 minutes ago, Forever Hearts said:

Back where we started under her. Thanks, Ann. 

 

It's alright...

 

 

[The Fonz]

Confirmation if any were needed that we need a complete clear out of the current board, starting with Budge and the parasite. 

We are bottom of the league through complete and utter mismanagement and gross incompetence.

 

I don't think calling the league as it is and relegating is us the right thing to do, but we've put ourselves in this position. Now we're not going to bother to fight it.

 

The end of a shite chapter in our history. We can only hope that the damage done over the last few years won't be so severe and we can rebuild. 

[Back to 2005]

We really need somebody in charge that has a feeling for the fans at the club. Get this imposter out now.

[husref musemic]

1 minute ago, The Fonz said:

Confirmation if any were needed that we need a complete clear out of the current board, starting with Budge and the parasite. 

We are bottom of the league through complete and utter mismanagement and gross incompetence.

 

I don't think calling the league as it is and relegating is us the right thing to do, but we've put ourselves in this position. Now we're not going to bother to fight it.

 

The end of a shite chapter in our history. We can only hope that the damage done over the last few years won't be so severe and we can rebuild. 

It's the duds on the park & the people who brought them here that need cleared out.

[soonbe110]

1 hour ago, Last Laff said:

Sky have £160m over us though, nothing over the Bank of England.  They pull the deal the whole of Scottish football is down the pan.  As much as I don’t like Doncaster he’s only really a mouthpiece for the clubs and speaks usually for the majority or what the old firm want. 

But they are not going to pull their deal are they?  If the new season starts off 6 weeks late but fixtures are squeezed in by extra midweek, no cup replays etc what diff does it make to Sky? They still have exclusive coverage of all games. Shorter timeframe and usual number if games could actually make it more exciting than usual eg midweek fixtures most weeks. 

[Bunny Munro]

Ann Budge will live or die in the eyes of many on how this ends up.

 

It's worth remembering that in the last five years have been to 3 Semis, 1 final, have another semi coming up, played in Europe, and built the new stand. If you had told me that before Ibrox on opening day of the championship I'd have been pretty happy with that. 

 

The problem is the decline over the last three years. It's a lot easier to run a club that's going well. Her inability to stop the slide is unforgivable, although I wonder if she securely wishes we hadn't had as much success so quickly.

[Mikey1874]

24 minutes ago, alanjambo said:

Livingston have said they'll support the motion.  I was hoping that they'd be one of those who'd say no to it.  We always bring loads there.

 

 

[Back to 2005]

5 minutes ago, husref musemic said:

It's the duds on the park & the people who brought them here that need cleared out.

The buck stops with her. Enough is enough she is responsible.

[bajthejambo]

I can't believe Budge has admitted that on national televison. I'm all for transparency, but that's just plain stupid. It's basically waving the white flag. Unless she has guarantees on how the other clubs are going to vote, I think we're down.

[The Fonz]

Just now, husref musemic said:

It's the duds on the park & the people who brought them here that need cleared out.

 

They need to go as well, but ultimately if you're the CEO then the buck stops with you and you need to be held accountable.

 

I don't see how she can come out the other side of a relegation with any credibility. 4th biggest budget, £10m from FOH on top of record season ticket sales, etc.

 

To be relegated with our resources and backing is as embarrassing and dreadful an episode as any in our history. 

[GorgieRules22]

Craig Levein should have gone after we lost 5 at Livingston, he then should have been replaced after the final.....we done neither and that’s why we’re rock bottom and facing up to this.

 

Ann Budges fault for showing blind loyalty to a friend.....the blame lies with her.

[His name is]

I've not really been keeping up with all this TBH. 

 

The cold hard facts are we have ourselves to blame for being in this position. 

 

Budge, Levein and the players are the reason why we are bottom of the league. The results for 18 months now have been nothing but an embarrassment. 

 

The best of it is, if we were to actually play out the rest of the season we would be down anyway. 

[lsimp77]

Anne Budge killed the club when she appointed Ian Cathro. She needs ousted ASAP.