Top European Soccer Teams Agree to Join Breakaway League

[Cruyff]

Scottish football would be worse off without the Old Firm. Why anyone believes that handing over one of your assets to England, so they can make more money, is a good idea is beyond me. Must be purely based on maroon tinted specs than anything else. 

[Rogue Daddy]

13 minutes ago, SuperstarSteve said:

Relevant to who? Rest of world? 
Scottish football would thrive without the OF. It would and the myth OF are needed is nonsense. No single club is bigger than football. They are just more valued but we’d be perfectly fine without them. 
 

Im no against a reinvention of European/British football but I’ve not seen any ideas I’d be for as of yet. 

Yep, you're bang on mate. There are only about half a dozen 'relevant' leagues in the world in the eyes of FIFA (and UEFA)and we'll never be one of them. But you can bet Irish leagues are relevant to the Irish and the same goes for Wales and Scotland. I really couldn't give a monkeys about anyone else.

 

The only reason the uglies are more valued, is because they get the most exposure and the lion's share of EVERYTHING. Unfortunately, in Scotland and in the eyes of our bent association, it's only these 2 that are relevant... the rest arn't and that's our problem.

 

I'd be delighted if they would just GTF.

[Mikey1874]

3 minutes ago, Cruyff said:

Scottish football would be worse off without the Old Firm. Why anyone believes that handing over one of your assets to England, so they can make more money, is a good idea is beyond me. Must be purely based on maroon tinted specs than anything else. 

 

What's worse than 36 league titles in a row. 

 

Which is a record by the way. 

[Rogue Daddy]

2 minutes ago, Cruyff said:

Scottish football would be worse off without the Old Firm. Why anyone believes that handing over one of your assets to England, so they can make more money, is a good idea is beyond me. Must be purely based on maroon tinted specs than anything else. 

I agree we would be worse off for a period of time... but not forever. Can you imagine a fair and competitive Scottish league? One where you have (potentially) 6 teams challenging for top spot. That in itself would bring attendances back (and when I say back, I'm referring to the Motherwells, Kilmarnocks, Dundee UTDs etc.) We're lucky that we don't depend on TV revenue for turnover (most of it goes to the OF), but it's ticket sales that prop up Scottish football clubs.

Yes, it would be hard going for a stretch, but (IMO) would be worth it in the long run.

[Rogue Daddy]

34 minutes ago, Mikey1874 said:

 

What's worse than 36 league titles in a row. 

 

Which is a record by the way. 

 

The SFA/SPFL must be so proud. What a fecking tinpot, corrupt, biased, setup.

[Cruyff]

38 minutes ago, Mikey1874 said:

 

What's worse than 36 league titles in a row. 

 

Which is a record by the way. 

That's irrelevant. 

35 minutes ago, Rogue Daddy said:

I agree we would be worse off for a period of time... but not forever. Can you imagine a fair and competitive Scottish league? One where you have (potentially) 6 teams challenging for top spot. That in itself would bring attendances back (and when I say back, I'm referring to the Motherwells, Kilmarnocks, Dundee UTDs etc.) We're lucky that we don't depend on TV revenue for turnover (most of it goes to the OF), but it's ticket sales that prop up Scottish football clubs.

Yes, it would be hard going for a stretch, but (IMO) would be worth it in the long run.

I think clubs would be significantly poorer and the standard of the game here would drop much further without the Old Firm.

 

Clubs at lower levels of the pyramid would struggle to survive, which was a key issue raised in English football if the biggest 6 clubs had left. 

 

The only upside is that it would make the league more competitive but the prestige of the league and winning any tournament would be greatly damaged without beating the very best competition. 

[JFK-1]

5 hours ago, Mysterion said:

 

This will not happen - turkeys don't vote for Christmas. The majority of teams would lose out so will go against it. It should be a non starter and this chat is the natural successor to the ESL stories that papers want to generate. 

 

 

 

This time I feel it could actually happen. The top sides in England wont let go of this plan for some sort of reformation. As for the turkeys you mention, the also rans in the EPL, they will be as irrelevant as everyone outside the OF in Scotland are.

[Nookie Bear]

52 minutes ago, Mikey1874 said:

 

What's worse than 36 league titles in a row. 

 

Which is a record by the way. 

 

Whether anyone feels they should leave or not, that is a stat that should have been ringing alarm bells at the SFA a long time ago.

[Mikey1874]

8 minutes ago, Cruyff said:

That's irrelevant. 

 

 

You want Celtic to Rangers to win the league every season. 

 

There are generations now that only know that. 

 

If that's the model for football worldwide, where will it lead? Only Manchester City or Chelsea can win in Engsnd. 

[JFK-1]

3 minutes ago, Nookie Bear said:

 

Whether anyone feels they should leave or not, that is a stat that should have been ringing alarm bells at the SFA a long time ago.

 

The thing is there's absolutely nothing the SFA or anybody else could do to change it. If you were for example to cut them out of all TV and prize money in Scotland they would still be overwhelmingly dominant.

A fan base that eclipses most clubs in England too far less Scotland ensures that.

[Rogue Daddy]

Just now, Cruyff said:

That's irrelevant. 

I think clubs would be significantly poorer and the standard of the game here would drop much further without the Old Firm.

 

Clubs at lower levels of the pyramid would struggle to survive, which was a key issue raised in English football if the biggest 6 clubs had left. 

 

The only upside is that it would make the league more competitive but the prestige of the league and winning any tournament would be greatly damaged without beating the very best competition. 

 

Yeah, it would be tough, no question... and with regards to the lower clubs, I'm not so sure they would be much worse off. They've survived this last year (granted, there has been a couple of hand outs - but drop in the ocean stuff compared to the rest)... and I'm as amazed as anyone that there's not been a casualty as yet. But do the OF really prop up these lower league teams? For me, the only clubs that look to (substantially) suffer, would be the likes of St Johnstone, Kilmarnock, Hamilton - the clubs that are happy to give away most of their grounds seats to the OF away support. I mean, you've really got to ask yourself, should these clubs be anywhere near a professional league if this is what they have to do to make ends meet?

 

But, even (as I mentioned above) if the OF don't leave Scottish football, to make a huge difference in this country, all we need is a level playing field. That's just embarrassing... only in Scotland!

[Longbaws]

Cheerio, adios, arrivederci, good bye and  **** off.

 

I hope they go down south ASAP.

 

They are an embarrassment to Scotland.

[Under the floodlight]

3 clubs left, with the others withdrawing what happens to the penalties that are being mentioned for the breaking of the contract.?

[Rogue Daddy]

12 minutes ago, Nookie Bear said:

 

Whether anyone feels they should leave or not, that is a stat that should have been ringing alarm bells at the SFA a long time ago.

It does beg the question why the SFA/SPFL skew everything in their favour. I mean, if they're so fantatsic that they've dominated Scottish football for 36 years... why do they get preferential treatment over everyone else, when they clearly don't need it? Are they really THAT afraid, of a fair set up for all? It's just pathetic.

[Nookie Bear]

7 minutes ago, JFK-1 said:

 

The thing is there's absolutely nothing the SFA or anybody else could do to change it. If you were for example to cut them out of all TV and prize money in Scotland they would still be overwhelmingly dominant.

A fan base that eclipses most clubs in England too far less Scotland ensures that.

 

Yes. I have long believed that there is enough cash swilling around European football for it to be more fairly spread.

 

If a Scottish club had qualified for the group stages of the Champions League and picked up a win and a couple of draws then i they would have been guaranteed nearly 20m euros. So instantly celtic (for example) disappear even further out of sight.

 

How about the team that qualifies earns, say, 10m euros and the rest is split evenly amongst the other clubs in that country's top division? It may even incentivise us to want the old firm to progress, knowing their success actually helps us, rather than makes an impossible task even harder.

 

ALmost 2bn euros is paid out each year for the Champions League. More than enough to reward those who do well and ALSO encourage competitiveness amongst their leagues.

 

 

[Nookie Bear]

10 minutes ago, Rogue Daddy said:

It does beg the question why the SFA/SPFL skew everything in their favour. I mean, if they're so fantatsic that they've dominated Scottish football for 36 years... why do they get preferential treatment over everyone else, when they clearly don't need it? Are they really THAT afraid, of a fair set up for all? It's just pathetic.

 

I just feel the people invovled in running the game are simply dazzled by the sheer size of those clubs compared to theirs.

 

If you are chairman of Brechin but find yourself in a position of being on the SPFL or SFA Board and welcomed at Ibrox or Parkhead, you're going to be impressed more so than a trip to Fir Park.

 

Plus nobody wants their windows put in every night.

[Cruyff]

39 minutes ago, Mikey1874 said:

 

You want Celtic to Rangers to win the league every season. 

 

There are generations now that only know that. 

 

If that's the model for football worldwide, where will it lead? Only Manchester City or Chelsea can win in Engsnd. 

No, of course not. It's up to clubs to close the gap through developing players through academies and selling them on, better recruitment and getting to a stronger financial position. 

 

Leicester and Blackburn have both won the EPL recently. Wigan have won the FA Cup. Middlesbrough have won the league Cup. 

 

We've come close on a number of occasions as have Aberdeen. It can be done. 

[Ainsley Harriott]

Imagine supporting a club where owners change their minds and react to the wishes of the fans. Must be nice 

[OTT]

3 hours ago, vegas-voss said:

Sick of folk already saying Scottish football would die if the Old Firm left.My view is entirely different Scottish football would have an opportunity to thrive.

 

Imagine a league where teams got together a wage cap was imposed and youth was really promoted and developed.The journeymen that were brought in to somehow try to just  be somewhere near the Old Firm was gone.Clubs couldn't buy from each other unless a player was over 23.Games at 3pm and streaming allowed the big games live on BBC Scotland and a proper highlights package.Imo crowds would likely increase not decrease.Championships would be contested fiercely with so many teams in with a chance to win.Over time youth promoted and sold we could become a league that talent was nurtured and bought from a lot more countries than  it is just now and the national team could prosper too.

 

Its a total nonsense isn't it?

 

Hearts, Hibs, Aberdeen & to a lesser extent Dundee Utd are all decent sized clubs with a reasonable following. It may be true that revenues would go down, but we'd have a league where any number of clubs could win it from one year to the next. Less money would mean having to spend less on journeymen types which could be a blessing in disguise for the financial health of numerous Scottish clubs. 

 

I think that might also be the push we need to usher in Summer football, see how many OF fans decide to follow their local side during the summer - A possibility worth taking note of. 

 

FWIW, I don't think its right or proper for the OF to bugger off, but if they did it would be an opportunity to try and wrestle back control of the SFA/SPFL and push the change we want to see. 

[Hagar the Horrible]

3 hours ago, SuperstarSteve said:

100% wouldn’t die. Less TV and a couple hundred K down due to them not visiting stadiums and selling them out. 
Team could cut their cloth accordingly and job done.

 

Total myth Scottish football needs them. The fans want them gone. Club owners don’t, they want their extra income so they can pocket majority of it. 

Where was the armageddon, when Sevco might not have been back in? Where was the armageddon when they stayed in the championship?  Are we missed?

 

You are right, But lets take Hibs as an example the last 2 times they won the championship, they sold out, as they were winning,  Even if the Sheep were close to winning a title, with or without the OF, There would be sold out signs all over football stadiums, Those clubs who need the visits, might find families will come without the hatered used as a USP?

 

Been to Old Trafford a few times, most of the people there have a real team.

 

If you put your hand in a bucket of water and spalsh it about, that should be your impact, but when you remove your hand, the hole in the water is how much any of us are missed, OF more so!

[buzzbomb1958]

45 minutes ago, Longbaws said:

Cheerio, adios, arrivederci, good bye and  **** off.

 

I hope they go down south ASAP.

 

They are an embarrassment to Scotland.

Agree don't think the English fa would put up with their poisonous bigotry ,they will probably either and die playing most championship sides nevermind top flight 

[trotter]

4 hours ago, SuperstarSteve said:

100% wouldn’t die. Less TV and a couple hundred K down due to them not visiting stadiums and selling them out. 
Team could cut their cloth accordingly and job done.

 

Total myth Scottish football needs them. The fans want them gone. Club owners don’t, they want their extra income so they can pocket majority of it. 

 

[Auldbenches]

2 hours ago, Longbaws said:

Cheerio, adios, arrivederci, good bye and  **** off.

 

I hope they go down south ASAP.

 

They are an embarrassment to Scotland.

Your first sentence is the best thing I've ever read regarding the old firm.  

[Kiwidoug]

4 hours ago, Cruyff said:

Scottish football would be worse off without the Old Firm. Why anyone believes that handing over one of your assets to England, so they can make more money, is a good idea is beyond me. Must be purely based on maroon tinted specs than anything else. 

Assets? We'll have to agree to disagree.  If it happens and I hope it does with all my heart, it must put paid to their colts teams playing in the Scottish leagues.

[Kiwidoug]

12 hours ago, Paolo said:

The alternative ?  A ‘British’ League, with Celtic and Rangers?
 

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/14723904/rangers-celtic-british-super-league-premier-league/

 

I said, if it happens, let them go.  But they go fully.  None of the colts playing in Scotland crap, or being allowed to play in the cups.  
 

And once gone, they are gone forever.   No allowing back, or fast tracking back, if it goes tits up.  

100%. No smoke without fire.  Love to see it happen.  

[kingantti1874]

4 hours ago, SuperstarSteve said:

Relevant to who? Rest of world? 
Scottish football would thrive without the OF. It would and the myth OF are needed is nonsense. No single club is bigger than football. They are just more valued but we’d be perfectly fine without them. 
 

Im no against a reinvention of European/British football but I’ve not seen any ideas I’d be for as of yet. 

The tv revenues would drop, the sponsorship revenues would drop, thus the standard of the league and the quality of the players in it would drop.   This would start a vicious downward spiral

 

In the medium to long term  It would then be even more difficult than it is now to interest youngsters to follow hearts or any other Scottish clubs. Gates will drop, income will drop, and our ability to retain young players will fall. 

 

Like the Irish and Welsh leagues people will support the old firm, English or foreign teams and will have a kiddy on Scottish team.

 

Within 10 to 15 years we will have a team renamed to something like inter cable tel to generate some funds.

Edited April 22, 2021 by kingantti1874

[shaun.lawson]

4 hours ago, Cruyff said:

Scottish football would be worse off without the Old Firm. Why anyone believes that handing over one of your assets to England, so they can make more money, is a good idea is beyond me. Must be purely based on maroon tinted specs than anything else. 

 

What does this even mean?

 

This entire bloody world is obsessed, completely obsessed with perpetual economic growth for its own sake. Which doesn't trickle down or increase competition - it funnels up and reduces competition to the point of non-existence. For monopolies in various industries, read the richest football clubs.

 

The SPL was formed in 1998. Precisely zero non-OF clubs have made a serious title challenge since (in Hearts' case, our best effort involved falling out of the title race in January). Meanwhile, it's taken Scotland 22 years to reach a major finals - and that's not a coincidence.

 

If you let the two biggest clubs leave, yes, you'd lose money from TV deals - but that money just goes on ridiculous wage bills and staffing costs in any case! But what you'd get instead is genuine competition: with power bases in Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee, and the chance for huge numbers of clubs to one day become Champions of Scotland.

 

There'd actually be very little to stop Hearts and Aberdeen becoming counterparts to dominant Scandinavian clubs like AIK, Malmo, Copenhagen, Midtjylland or Rosenborg - especially if UEFA protected the Champions' CL path. Instead, Scottish football is obsessed with comparing itself with England all the bloody time - and nothing good ever comes of that.

 

It's either let the Old Firm go... or trance football for the rest of our lives. And beyond.

[He Who Cannot Be Named]

6 minutes ago, shaun.lawson said:

 

What does this even mean?

 

This entire bloody world is obsessed, completely obsessed with perpetual economic growth for its own sake. Which doesn't trickle down or increase competition - it funnels up and reduces competition to the point of non-existence. For monopolies in various industries, read the richest football clubs.

 

The SPL was formed in 1998. Precisely zero non-OF clubs have made a serious title challenge since (in Hearts' case, our best effort involved falling out of the title race in January). Meanwhile, it's taken Scotland 22 years to reach a major finals - and that's not a coincidence.

 

If you let the two biggest clubs leave, yes, you'd lose money from TV deals - but that money just goes on ridiculous wage bills and staffing costs in any case! But what you'd get instead is genuine competition: with power bases in Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee, and the chance for huge numbers of clubs to one day become Champions of Scotland.

 

There'd actually be very little to stop Hearts and Aberdeen becoming counterparts to dominant Scandinavian clubs like AIK, Malmo, Copenhagen, Midtjylland or Rosenborg - especially if UEFA protected the Champions' CL path. Instead, Scottish football is obsessed with comparing itself with England all the bloody time - and nothing good ever comes of that.

 

It's either let the Old Firm go... or trance football for the rest of our lives. And beyond.

Love this post Shaun, well said.

[kingantti1874]

2 minutes ago, shaun.lawson said:

 

What does this even mean?

 

This entire bloody world is obsessed, completely obsessed with perpetual economic growth for its own sake. Which doesn't trickle down or increase competition - it funnels up and reduces competition to the point of non-existence. For monopolies in various industries, read the richest football clubs.

 

The SPL was formed in 1998. Precisely zero non-OF clubs have made a serious title challenge since (in Hearts' case, our best effort involved falling out of the title race in January). Meanwhile, it's taken Scotland 22 years to reach a major finals - and that's not a coincidence.

 

If you let the two biggest clubs leave, yes, you'd lose money from TV deals - but that money just goes on ridiculous wage bills and staffing costs in any case! But what you'd get instead is genuine competition: with power bases in Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee, and the chance for huge numbers of clubs to one day become Champions of Scotland.

 

There'd actually be very little to stop Hearts and Aberdeen becoming counterparts to dominant Scandinavian clubs like AIK, Malmo, Copenhagen, Midtjylland or Rosenborg - especially if UEFA protected the Champions' CL path. Instead, Scottish football is obsessed with comparing itself with England all the bloody time - and nothing good ever comes of that.

 

It's either let the Old Firm go... or trance football for the rest of our lives. And beyond.

Sorry it’s just a fundamentally flawed view and doesn’t give any consideration to how it would likely play out.

 

1. probably 90% + of this country support one of the old firm.  
 

2. if the old firm are playing in the EPL it would be far harder to convince young people to follow hearts, Hamilton and Kilmarnock than it is now. They will pick a team, rangers / celtic or an other in the “British” league.
 

3. The Scandinavian teams have a far better TV deal than we do currently. Our TV deal would be ripped to bits if it existed at all.

The welsh league or the league of Ireland would be a better comparison than the Scandinavian league. The league we have just won would be about the standard we would be watching 

 

if there is a British league we need to be part of it or we are finished in the long term. 

 

[McGlynn The Money]

Statement from good old "more than a club" FC Barcelona in favour of the Super League, with their president Joan Laporta saying it's absolutely essential. What a bunch of hypocrites.

 

Wonder what resident Barça fan @Pasquale for Kingmakes of it all.

 

 https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/club/news/2114445/fc-barcelona-announcement-on-the-super-league?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=fcbarcelona&utm_campaign=4b5e891a-1dc8-498b-8377-8fd95ac48965

[kingantti1874]

6 minutes ago, McGlynn The Money said:

Statement from good old "more than a club" FC Barcelona in favour of the Super League, with their president Joan Laporta saying it's absolutely essential. What a bunch of hypocrites.

 

Wonder what resident Barça fan @Pasquale for Kingmakes of it all.

 

 https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/club/news/2114445/fc-barcelona-announcement-on-the-super-league?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=fcbarcelona&utm_campaign=4b5e891a-1dc8-498b-8377-8fd95ac48965

absolute scum. These ***** believe they are entitled to win, they believe they equal football. Get them to ****

[Kiwidoug]

I want the judicial branch of JKB to impose punishing fines on any members who propose that our football would be worse of if Celtic and Rangers vanished from our landscape.  £1,000 for a 1st offence then rapidly escalating.

 

For non members who post, life time bans then sent back to .net where they belong.

 

OF oot.

[McGlynn The Money]

34 minutes ago, kingantti1874 said:

absolute scum. These ***** believe they are entitled to win, they believe they equal football. Get them to ****

 

Spot on. Just sleekit, entitled, money grabbing rats.

[ri Alban]

Scottish fitbaw was pretty good when Rangers were gone for a while. So I'd imagine it would be twice a good with both these ***** gone. 

[SuperstarSteve]

1 hour ago, kingantti1874 said:

The tv revenues would drop, the sponsorship revenues would drop, thus the standard of the league and the quality of the players in it would drop.   This would start a vicious downward spiral

 

In the medium to long term  It would then be even more difficult than it is now to interest youngsters to follow hearts or any other Scottish clubs. Gates will drop, income will drop, and our ability to retain young players will fall. 

 

Like the Irish and Welsh leagues people will support the old firm, English or foreign teams and will have a kiddy on Scottish team.

 

Within 10 to 15 years we will have a team renamed to something like inter cable tel to generate some funds.

I agree with some of what you say but I still think your way off. 
No TV money doesn’t effect the lower leagues just the top tier and none of them need TV money to survive. 
the biggest hurdle will be for the clubs who don’t have fans so they sell their soul and allow the OF to fund them by handing them all 3 stands. 

We would be bigger versions and better versions of welsh and Irish football. I could be wrong but do either of those leagues have clubs anywhere near the size of hearts hibs or Aberdeen? I don’t think they do. 

Hearts win the league and qualify for champions league. 20k stadium and European nights... That’s no an attraction for a decent standard of player? 
I don’t even think we have sponsorship money to lose either because we’ve no got one, haven’t done for years. 

As long as we put in place a system that stops total domination. Salary caps or whatever, If it means taking less champions league/europa money and spreading it between the 

Rest of Scottish football to teams who didn’t qualify then so be. Whatever it takes to sustain a competitive league and build/generate funds for everybody. Im all for it. 

it’s possible to thrive without the OF and we absolutely could but it’s a pipe dream. 
Instead we are part of a league that we have 0.01% chance of winning IF that. 
 

Our current league champions have more debt than the whole of Scottish football put together. 84 million in losses. That’s what it takes to challenge the OF and nobody else is doing that. Change is needed and rapidly, with or without them, regardless I am absolutely certain  this league would survive and eventually thrive without them. 
I respect that you disagree with that. 
 

Edited April 22, 2021 by SuperstarSteve

[kingantti1874]

24 minutes ago, Kiwidoug said:

I want the judicial branch of JKB to impose punishing fines on any members who propose that our football would be worse of if Celtic and Rangers vanished from our landscape.  £1,000 for a 1st offence then rapidly escalating.

 

For non members who post, life time bans then sent back to .net where they belong.

 

OF oot.

For pointing out the harsh reality? Comparisons to Scandinavia are just wrong. The Scandinavian don’t have 2 giant clubs who’d take 90% of the audience with them to the biggest league in the world parked right on their doorstep. 10 years after they go we’d be no more relevant than  Connah’s quay or Bangor city.  
 

I hope the old firm leave, we also need to leave in that scenario. There’s no reason we couldn’t do what Swansea, Bournemouth or Brighton have or are doing. We are bigger than all of them

[newbie]

I wonder what the good people of Manchester think of the prospect of having riots on their streets every time one of the Glasgow clubs loses to United or City.

 

It wouldn't take the English long to regret inviting Deadco Rangers* and Celtic down south once the Northern Ireland 'troubles' were re-enacted across England's green and pleasant land by the usual Scottish suspects with their pseudo-religious Irish political nonsense.

 

It could've and should've been stamped out of our game a century ago, but bigotry and hatred sells, so our football authorities have at best turned a blind eye to it and at worst actively encouraged it for its money-spinning properties, allowing a powerful, all-conquering duopoly to develop in the process.

 

Even the death of one of the gruesome twosome couldn't break the duopoly as our football authorities produced the biggest swindle in Scottish sporting history by pretending what we'd just witnessed with our own two eyes hadn't actually happened.

 

If they nevertheless inexplicably received an invite to join the English setup, they should be presented with tablets of stone confirming that they would never be able to come crawling back if things didn't work out for them, and that includes colt or reserve teams. Oh, and don't bang your lardy arse on the way out.

 

[kingantti1874]

8 minutes ago, SuperstarSteve said:

I agree with some of what you say but I still think your way off. 
No TV money doesn’t effect the lower leagues just the top tier and none of them need TV money to survive. 
the biggest hurdle will be for the clubs who don’t have fans so they sell their soul and allow the OF to fund them by handing them all 3 stands. 

We would be bigger versions and better versions of welsh and Irish football. I could be wrong but do either of those leagues have clubs anywhere near the size of hearts hibs or Aberdeen? I don’t they do. 

Hearts win the league and qualify for champions league. 20k stadium and European nights... That’s no an attraction for a decent standard of player? 
I don’t even think we have sponsorship money to lose either because we’ve no got one, haven’t done for years. 

As long as we put in place a system that stops total domination. Salary caps or whatever, If it means taking less champions league/europa money and spreading it between the 

Rest of Scottish football to teams who didn’t qualify then so be. Whatever it takes to sustain a competitive league and build/generate funds for everybody. Im all for it. 

it’s possible to thrive without the OF and we absolutely could but it’s a pipe dream. 
Instead we are part of a league that we have 0.01% chance of winning IF that. 
 

Our current league champions have more debt than the whole of Scottish football put together. 84 million in losses. That’s what it takes to challenge the OF and nobody else is doing that. Change is needed and rapidly, with or without them, regardless I am absolutely certain  this league would survive and eventually without them. 
I respect that you disagree with that. 
 

We wouldn’t have champions league nights with full houses. The quality drain means the coefficient would be knackered and be out before the end of July like the welsh and Irish teams.

 

trying to encourage kids to watch hearts or any other team when you have 2 big league clubs on your doorstep would be very difficult.
 

To your question - Do those leagues currently have club as big as hearts? No they do not but over 10/20/30 years our support would be decimated.  Kids growing up watching rangers, Celtic, arsenal, city etc  😒

 

Edited April 22, 2021 by kingantti1874

[ToadKiller Dog]

The ugly sister hacks leaking the every few years ( often during the run up to an election also)  , British league story is as ever just them trying to look relevant within the Super league story nothing more .

We are stuck with them .

No way in a million years will the majority of English clubs vote to bring in them ,they would be no more than a short term novelty act ,I don't see them adding much more value to the already inflated TV deal the epl gets .

[Vansen]

15 minutes ago, kingantti1874 said:

trying to encourage kids to watch hearts or any other team when you have 2 big league clubs on your doorstep would be very difficult.

 

What you say is quite possible but look at the number of clubs in London for instance, arsenal, spurs and Chelsea, yet QPR have a decent hard-core, as do Brentford. 

Kids will always be attracted to the new shiny thing but there will always be a localised attraction to a club. QPR is literally just up the road from Chelsea yet still attracts new supporters. 

I have no doubt that we would remain attractive to support. 

[shaun.lawson]

12 minutes ago, Vansen said:

 

I have no doubt that we would remain attractive to support. 

 

Particularly if Hearts pursued a distinctively Scottish identity. Like an antidote to the OF. 

[SectionDJambo]

What we have in Scotland presently isn't working for the betterment of the entire league. We have a chief secretary at the SPFL, Mr Vindication, who sells the league to broadcasters by talking up the duopoly. He should be proposing ways of trying to help the other clubs have a chance of competing, which certainly isn't playing them 4 times a season with 12 points at stake against each of the Glasgow bum cheeks. Maybe he could leave with them.

There is a fear of change which will take someone with vision to overcome. To persuade the likes of Motherwell, Kilmarnock and St Johnstone that there is another way. Fans of every club, except Rangers and Celtic are fed up rolling up for every season knowing they are playing in a competition they can never win. It's just a matter of time before those fans find something else to do on a Saturday, especially as we sit in freezing conditions through the winter. Celtic and Rangers leaving tbe league might just be the jolt needed to inspire some radical thinking about how we proceed. 

However, if they go, they go lock, stock and colts. Whoever takes them in better be ready for all the bigoted nonsense that they carry as a badge of honour. It could open a few eyes of people who have been brainwashed about how fantastic their fans are.

[JFK-1]

13 minutes ago, Vansen said:

What you say is quite possible but look at the number of clubs in London for instance, arsenal, spurs and Chelsea, yet QPR have a decent hard-core, as do Brentford. 

Kids will always be attracted to the new shiny thing but there will always be a localised attraction to a club. QPR is literally just up the road from Chelsea yet still attracts new supporters. 

I have no doubt that we would remain attractive to support. 

 

But you're talking about a handful of clubs in London which has a population of around 9 million. Scotland has a population around only 5.4 million shared among 42 clubs.

I don't doubt Hearts would remain at least as well supported as now. But by fans not TV or sponsors.

[shaun.lawson]

Never has the dependence of Real Madrid and Barcelona on each other been better demonstrated than over the last few days.

 

Madrid are absolutely disgusting but at least they don't pretend otherwise. No club, not even Celtic, is more completely full of pious, hypocritical shit than FC Bankruptalona. 

 

Mes que my arse. 

[Kiwidoug]

Those of us who are ancient fondly remember the 63/64 season.  It ended terribly for us but otherwise it was fantastic.  From January on the league was contested between Hibs,  Hearts,  kilmarnock and Dunfermline.  The o f nowhere to be seen.

 

Probably the only time in 140 years that has happened.  Would love to see it again.  The crowds would be back and it would be ultra competitive.  It would be brilliant.

[Under the floodlight]

6 minutes ago, shaun.lawson said:

Never has the dependence of Real Madrid and Barcelona on each other been better demonstrated than over the last few days.

 

Madrid are absolutely disgusting but at least they don't pretend otherwise. No club, not even Celtic, is more completely full of pious, hypocritical shit than FC Bankruptalona. 

 

Mes que my arse. 

Bit harsh to be honest, no love for Barcelona but the club is run by arseholes. Celtic are rotten from the owner down to the fans( I'm sure there must be some exceptions) The fans of Barcelona, the ones I know are mainly ok.( I'm sure there must be some exceptions). Mes que un club is a reference to Catalan independence movement not them bragging.

[shaun.lawson]

1 minute ago, Under the floodlight said:

Mes que un club is a reference to Catalan independence movement not them bragging.

 

Which, by purest coincidence, is also based on greed, arrogance and entitlement. Just as Barcelona have somehow projected a preposterous image of being downtrodden victims and 'the good guys', so Catalan independence is based on one of the wealthiest regions on planet Earth wanting even more for themselves... and somehow making people think they're being repressed!

[kingantti1874]

9 minutes ago, Kiwidoug said:

Those of us who are ancient fondly remember the 63/64 season.  It ended terribly for us but otherwise it was fantastic.  From January on the league was contested between Hibs,  Hearts,  kilmarnock and Dunfermline.  The o f nowhere to be seen.

 

Probably the only time in 140 years that has happened.  Would love to see it again.  The crowds would be back and it would be ultra competitive.  It would be brilliant.

That would be great. Sadly it’s not the 1960’s . Money rules. Our top players would have left to take the step up to the mighty Lincoln city for 3 times the wages and we’d be fighting it out in front of 4000 fans whilst our kids are watching rangers v Arsenal 

[Longbaws]

24 minutes ago, shaun.lawson said:

Never has the dependence of Real Madrid and Barcelona on each other been better demonstrated than over the last few days.

 

Madrid are absolutely disgusting but at least they don't pretend otherwise. No club, not even Celtic, is more completely full of pious, hypocritical shit than FC Bankruptalona. 

 

Mes que my arse. 

 

I would like to to rescind that fanciful statement please SL👍

[Under the floodlight]

3 minutes ago, shaun.lawson said:

 

Which, by purest coincidence, is also based on greed, arrogance and entitlement. Just as Barcelona have somehow projected a preposterous image of being downtrodden victims and 'the good guys', so Catalan independence is based on one of the wealthiest regions on planet Earth wanting even more for themselves... and somehow making people think they're being repressed!

I always think that people should have a choice to self determination, they been asking for a vote for years and refused one. If you knew some of the people who were bludgeoned and dragged by their hair downstairs you might have a different opinion.