Guest Bilel Mohsni Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 Would give us a rather decent 16 team league? I do... Let's expand rather than deconstruct. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiberius Stinkfinger Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 Would give us a rather decent 16 team league? I do... Let's expand rather than deconstruct. And what benefit would that idea bring to the Bigot Sisters Mothias ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wright1989 Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 Far too sensible to happen IMO. and yes, it would make for a good SPL. They are all capable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dinger Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 Would give us a rather decent 16 team league? I do... Let's expand rather than deconstruct. I like it Unfortunately it won't happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennyblack'sshot Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 Would give us a rather decent 16 team league? I do... Let's expand rather than deconstruct. Yup, and the increased revenue would let all these clubs expand and so there would be more opportunities in the top league for young players. With 20% of the teams facing relegation every year in a 10-team league there's no way teams would risk playing youngsters or even entertaining players. Teams like St Mirren, Hibs, St J, etc who will be fighting relegation each season will just pack their teams with experienced war-horses. But as someone else said it's far too sensible an idea for the SFA and SPL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bilel Mohsni Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 I think we might see it happen... But I am a hopeless romantic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWL Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 They probably would, but unfortunately you can't hand pick the teams that are to be promoted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bilel Mohsni Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 Dundee apart those are the teams lurking beneath the SPL... Morton and QOS are the two teams above Hundee and I would take them both as replacements for a season until Hundee or Livi replace them the next again season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gigolo-Aunt Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 Nope - for me we struggle to sustain the number of clubs we currently have, no need to add to the numbers. There are a shed load of games that mean northing, with the quality on show piss poor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiberius Stinkfinger Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 What about a league of 5 teams and play each other 10 times a season ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dazo Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 Nope - for me we struggle to sustain the number of clubs we currently have, no need to add to the numbers. There are a shed load of games that mean northing, with the quality on show piss poor. Bang on GA. Playing more crap teams like those mentioned will do nothing for the top league in scotland IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Merse Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 Partick and Raith are absolute diddy clubs. Loads complain about how Hamilton and St Mirren and co add nothing to the league, we'd just be adding a whole host of even more diddy clubs to join the occassion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debut 4 Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 Agree with Mothy. Think its shortsighted to blank the wee clubs which we have done for long enough and killed off almost. It would be a long process to get to a better level but i think in the short term it would re-ignite a bit interest if the league was 16 and we only played teams twice. If it came down to dosh, which it would, then keep the split and have another 7 fixtures and incorporate a play off in the bottom half for relegation. Its time to spread the wealth. The teams mentioned have decent, dormant supports and if these clubs got a once a season visit from Hearts and the Old Firm it could mean full houses. Speak to most fans, they are sick of the sight of playing most teams 3, 4 times a season. I hate how the game has lost alot of its fans and alot of them to the Old Firm in places these clubs come from. PS...what was the gate at the Fife derby? 11k or so? the fans are out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bilel Mohsni Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 I disagree, the EPL is full of cannon-fodder for the top teams and the home and away format down there is usually just as much a predictable run of results as our constant monotony of playing fewer teams more often. It's not like Motherwell, Killie, St johnstone, Hamilton, St Mirren, Inverness etc are particularly bigger than some of the SFL teams currently below us, it's just that they have collected more TV money in the top-flight for more seasons than they really deserve thanks to our small premier league and the lack of oportunity to compete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bilel Mohsni Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 Mersey, Partick are bigger than St Johnstone and Accies and ICT. Give them access to a similar pot of TV cash and you would have a very competitive bottom half of a 16 team SPL and there would be added interest from play-offs IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennyblack'sshot Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 Playing each other twice would be much better. I'd fancy us to be able to take maximum points from two games each against the OF in a season - not so with 4 games though. Also, part of the reason we did so well under Burley early on was the OF were totally surprised by the new players and confidence in our team. Playing each other 4 times though means they have time to get the measure of the other teams and can nullify any threats - eg from Templeton and Skacel for us or Eremenko for Killie. Playing each other twice would increase our - and other teams - chances of challenging and taking points off the OF IMO. It's always noticeable - in the EPL as well - that new teams often start off quite well and there always seem to be more surprise results in the first half of the season. They then tail off as the other teams get used to playing them and the OF tend to pull away from the rest in the second half of the season. Part of tis is the OF's bigger and better squads but I do think the surprise factor can be pretty important - as in cup games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacDonald Jardine Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 Would give us a rather decent 16 team league? I do... Let's expand rather than deconstruct. I don't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bilel Mohsni Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 I do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drylaw Hearts Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 16 teams would only give a you 30 matches per club. That's not enough games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bilel Mohsni Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 We could add league cup matches to the season ticket and investigate other avenues Drylaw. 10 teams playing each other four times honestly does bore the crap out of me mate... I'd rather pay the same expensive price of my season ticket for once home and once away against 15 other teams than 36 against the same bloody teams I have been sick of seeing for thw last few years of misery recently. Half the teams in the SPL are no bigger than the majority of the first division but they have been allowed to stay up for years on end thanks to the small top division with one relegation place and the cash-flow from staying up year on year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stanley_ Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 Nope - for me we struggle to sustain the number of clubs we currently have, no need to add to the numbers. There are a shed load of games that mean northing, with the quality on show piss poor. They are the best Scottish clubs and that's the best "quality" we have. I, once again, suggest a 2 team SPL1 of the Old Firm with no relegation. And a 20 team SPL2. Solves the problems of quality. Great quality in the SPL1 and plenty of matches in the SPL2 and competition for the title. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flux Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 1 x 40 team league, where you play each team once a season (with an even split of home/away matches). 2 points for a home win. 5 points for an away win. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drylaw Hearts Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 We could add league cup matches to the season ticket What difference will that make ? investigate other avenues Like ? 10 teams playing each other four times honestly does bore the crap out of me mate I personally prefer playing the OF and Hibs than someone like Partick or Raith. I'd rather pay the same expensive price of my season ticket for once home and once away against 15 other teams than 36 against the same bloody teams I have been sick of seeing for thw last few years of misery recently. You may not mind but there will be thousands who would mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamboSean Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 1 x 40 team league, where you play each team once a season (with an even split of home/away matches). 2 points for a home win. 5 points for an away win. That sounds immense. Let's do that for a season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bilel Mohsni Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 Stanley, The top five in the first have as much and in some cases more potential than the smallest six in the SPL. Killie, St Johnstone, Accies, St Mirren, ICT and even possibly Motherwell are no bigger than the potential growth of Partick, Dunfermline, Dundee and Morton. The only reason we see teams like Killie, Midden, Accies and ICT as 'premier clubs' is because they have received SPL money and were able to bring in better players. Crowd-wise some of Scotlands top 15 clubs (support-wise) are currently stagnating in the penniless SFL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ultraviolet Catastrophe Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 That sounds immense. Let's do that for a season. This. I'm daft for that idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bilel Mohsni Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 Drylaw, More cup games on the season ticket is a gamble but could pay off if we have a good run and would ensure decent crowds unlike the shambles when we were put out by St johnston to a nearly empty Tynecastle. Other avenues? Dunno, I'm no paid to come up with these things but restructuring could give us an opportunity to really change things for the better and maybe remove a stale cup tournament and replace it with a more lucrative and attractive alternative that could be incorporated into season ticket fixtures... Maybe put some colt team games on a different day and put them in the ST along with Cup games up until the quarter finals? All just from the top of my head though, sure there are better ideas out there to achieve a similar result. I get more excited about derbies and OF games than I do about other Scottish games too but don't you think teams in the EPL and La Liga do too? Bet they still wouldn't vote to shrink their leagues in order to play them more often though. Sure there are plenty would mind, fair enough... I'd rather have a bigger league with more variety though, this last bit is purely just my preference tbh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drylaw Hearts Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 Drylaw, More cup games on the season ticket is a gamble but could pay off if we have a good run and would ensure decent crowds unlike the shambles when we were put out by St johnston to a nearly empty Tynecastle. Other avenues? Dunno, I'm no paid to come up with these things but restructuring could give us an opportunity to really change things for the better and maybe remove a stale cup tournament and replace it with a more lucrative and attractive alternative that could be incorporated into season ticket fixtures... Maybe put some colt team games on a different day and put them in the ST along with Cup games up until the quarter finals? All just from the top of my head though, sure there are better ideas out there to achieve a similar result. I get more excited about derbies and OF games than I do about other Scottish games too but don't you think teams in the EPL and La Liga do too? Bet they still wouldn't vote to shrink their leagues in order to play them more often though. Sure there are plenty would mind, fair enough... I'd rather have a bigger league with more variety though, this last bit is purely just my preference tbh. 18 is the ideal number but we just don't have enough 'big' teams to sustain a SPL that size. I really don't want a QOS or Ross County or Cowdenbeath in our league - what is that going to bring ? 3 leagues of 14 is the way forward imo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bilel Mohsni Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 18 is the ideal number but we just don't have enough 'big' teams to sustain a SPL that size. I really don't want a QOS or Ross County or Cowdenbeath in our league - what is that going to bring ? 3 leagues of 14 is the way forward imo. Not arguing against 3x14 mate... However your use of County, Queens and The Blue Brazil are not likely to be the teams that would spend much time in a 16 team SPL. There are bigger sides in the SFL than some of the pish clubs we meet 4 times a season in the SPL currently. No? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drylaw Hearts Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 Not arguing against 3x14 mate... However your use of County, Queens and The Blue Brazil are not likely to be the teams that would spend much time in a 16 team SPL. There are bigger sides in the SFL than some of the pish clubs we meet 4 times a season in the SPL currently. No? QOS etc would be candidates for the 18 team SPL. And no....I don't think there are any bigger SFL clubs than Rangers, Celtic, Utd, Motherwell or Killie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mulleted_jambo Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 Bang on GA. Playing more crap teams like those mentioned will do nothing for the top league in scotland IMO. Apart from giving teams outside the OF more chance of challenging. Only playing the OF twice would give us a massive advantage compared with now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stanley_ Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 Stanley, The top five in the first have as much and in some cases more potential than the smallest six in the SPL. Killie, St Johnstone, Accies, St Mirren, ICT and even possibly Motherwell are no bigger than the potential growth of Partick, Dunfermline, Dundee and Morton. The only reason we see teams like Killie, Midden, Accies and ICT as 'premier clubs' is because they have received SPL money and were able to bring in better players. Crowd-wise some of Scotlands top 15 clubs (support-wise) are currently stagnating in the penniless SFL. Mothy, You don't need to convince me. I'm completely in favour of increasing the league size. I was joking because some people keep going on about the "quality" and if that's what they're after then a 2 team SPL would be the best solution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bilel Mohsni Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 QOS etc would be candidates for the 18 team SPL. And no....I don't think there are any bigger SFL clubs than Rangers, Celtic, Utd, Motherwell or Killie. Blackpool, Reading and Wigan etc have spent time in the EPL and not dragged the league down and in fact added some excitement to procedings really but they will never be real contenders for the top slots. That is the equivilent of the QOSs and Cowdens in a larger SPL. A league will always have top, middle and bottom teams and some will spwnd all their time at the top, others move between two or three of those regions and others will be yo-yo teams between the top and next division. The plans to have a smaller top-flight in Scotland will just see teams that would be the occasional high-riders but also occasional strugglers being relegated fairly regularly. If that all happens in the bottom half of a bigger league then that will just be the same as any other league in the world, that's the way these things work but at least these smaller teams will get more opportunities to spend time at the big table before going back down again, much like Blackpool etc. As for including killie in the list of teams that are bigger than the SFL sides... i disagree completely, Partick, Dunfermline, Dundee etc are all potentially as big IMO. Motherwell? Maybe not but they are about as big as Dundee or Dunfermline at best but have been in the SPL long enough to appear bigger thanks to the SPL money available to them. Rangers and celtic are not comparible and you know that and Dundee UTD would join us as top to middle clubs with a gap between them and the bottom half sides that would yo-yo. this is the way in all other leagues aprt from our microcosm of tedium that we try and enjoy right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bilel Mohsni Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 Mothy, You don't need to convince me. I'm completely in favour of increasing the league size. I was joking because some people keep going on about the "quality" and if that's what they're after then a 2 team SPL would be the best solution. Yup, sorry Stan, I see that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radioactive Mince Posted May 1, 2011 Share Posted May 1, 2011 I agree wholeheartedly with Mothy on this one. I'd start a new cup competition (or revamp current LC trophy) for the premier teams with a European place if possible in the future. Seeded groups of six based on the past season's finishing order then knockout. Group stages included in SPL season tickets. Existing league cup (or challenge cup) quarter finalists, all lower league, would be bottom two seeds in each group. Top two teams progress to SPL cup quarters or even top four to a last 16. This might enable sfl clubs to get a nice piece of tv pie. More guaranteed games for the better lower league teams, increasing their income a la English championship. Fwiw, here are 20 clubs who would all be potentially better supported than the likes of ict or Hamilton, in rough order of size: Celtic Rangers Hearts Hibs Aberdeen Dundee Utd Dundee Falkirk Dunfermline St Mirren Motherwell Kilmarnock Raith Rovers St Johnstone Partick Thistle Livingston Ayr Utd Airdrie Clyde QOS Most of these clubs outwith the city clubs have the stadia & latent support to be as big as each other - let them grow. You'll also have far more derbies in a 16 team SPL. As someone said, Dunfermline got 8k home fans last week and took 1500 or so to greenock yesterday. Almost any one of the 15 below Dundee could do the same in their position. In addition to the 22 clubs mentioned we could add Morton & Ross county and we're at a point where any one of 8 first division clubs would hardly be any worse than the current Hamilton, and none of them anywhere near as embarrassing as Gretna were in the top league. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radioactive Mince Posted May 1, 2011 Share Posted May 1, 2011 Just as a wee footnote, I'd be going for a 16, 10, 16 league structure. I reckon the 16 who would make up the third tier would be much of a muchness, crowds-wise and keeping 1st div to 10 would help these teams to stay competitive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superjack Posted May 1, 2011 Share Posted May 1, 2011 1 x 40 team league, where you play each team once a season (with an even split of home/away matches). 2 points for a home win. 5 points for an away win. at first i thought "what a load of pish" then , after careful thought , i realised it is a brammer of an idea. also , i would make all games be played at 3pm on a saturday , no live games but extended highlights on a saturday evening. just think 1 week playing at hunbrox then away the blue brazil , standing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacDonald Jardine Posted May 1, 2011 Share Posted May 1, 2011 I agree wholeheartedly with Mothy on this one. I'd start a new cup competition (or revamp current LC trophy) for the premier teams with a European place if possible in the future. Seeded groups of six based on the past season's finishing order then knockout. Group stages included in SPL season tickets. Existing league cup (or challenge cup) quarter finalists, all lower league, would be bottom two seeds in each group. Top two teams progress to SPL cup quarters or even top four to a last 16. This might enable sfl clubs to get a nice piece of tv pie. More guaranteed games for the better lower league teams, increasing their income a la English championship. Fwiw, here are 20 clubs who would all be potentially better supported than the likes of ict or Hamilton, in rough order of size: Celtic Rangers Hearts Hibs Aberdeen Dundee Utd Dundee Falkirk Dunfermline St Mirren Motherwell Kilmarnock Raith Rovers St Johnstone Partick Thistle Livingston Ayr Utd Airdrie Clyde QOS Most of these clubs outwith the city clubs have the stadia & latent support to be as big as each other - let them grow. You'll also have far more derbies in a 16 team SPL. As someone said, Dunfermline got 8k home fans last week and took 1500 or so to greenock yesterday. Almost any one of the 15 below Dundee could do the same in their position. In addition to the 22 clubs mentioned we could add Morton & Ross county and we're at a point where any one of 8 first division clubs would hardly be any worse than the current Hamilton, and none of them anywhere near as embarrassing as Gretna were in the top league. Livingston or Clyde?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radioactive Mince Posted May 1, 2011 Share Posted May 1, 2011 Livingston or Clyde?? Not sure what you're trying to say here mate. Both clubs, I believe, have the facilities and the potential fanbase to be 5k averaging clubs. Obviously Livi are up against it with the Edinburgh-Glasgow effect but the area is quite highly populated. As for Clyde, I know they're total wash thesedays but it wasn't all that long ago they were putting in credible challenges for the Div One title, playing in front of decent sized first division crowds. I sometimes wonder if Queen's Park will ever make it back up the leagues and about their potential fanbase. A bit of investment and you never know... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4,948
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.