The split is good. Makes for 6 pointer games in the relegation battle and tricky games for the title challengers.
I can't wait to play a team like Arbroath 2 times a season.
Gets me really excited.
They will if they're winning more games and not dropping as many points to the big 2, more chance of a proper title challenge. Even if ST prices were dropped a little, 16/18 teams means less games and smaller squads potentially and less operating costs for matchdays, so savings elsewhere.On paper a 16 or 18 team league looks good and ideally the way forward in terms of player development. However (and unfortunately) from a financial perspective it is simply a no go.
Fans aren't going to pay the same season ticket money if their bigger games are halved and replaced with (and no disrespect to them) the current top 4-6 teams in the championship. Then there's the obvious issue with the TV deal. Companies won't pay in as much to only get half of the bigger fixtures. We all know fine well that Sky really just want the 4 games between us and them and would gladly bin the rest.
On paper a 16 or 18 team league looks good and ideally the way forward in terms of player development. However (and unfortunately) from a financial perspective it is simply a no go.
Fans aren't going to pay the same season ticket money if their bigger games are halved and replaced with (and no disrespect to them) the current top 4-6 teams in the championship. Then there's the obvious issue with the TV deal. Companies won't pay in as much to only get half of the bigger fixtures. We all know fine well that Sky really just want the 4 games between us and them and would gladly bin the rest.
If it was as bad as you say then why did so many quality Scottish footballers emerge back then, across numerous teams, and why did we almost always qualify for national tournaments? Just a coincidence that not that long after switching to smaller, far more competitive leagues we suddenly had progressively poorer and poorer players being produced, a massive influx of foreign journeymen, managers regularly complaining about not being able to throw kids into games as the league was far too competitive, no team outside the OF winning the league and Scotland not qualifying for anything for 2 decades? In terms of the bigger picture that's a lot of collective coincidences.
We don't bring enough value to itWe need to be talking to the TV companies to convince them a UK league is the way forward.
The sooner the staleness of playing each other four times a season (minimum) is consigned to the history books, the better.
You never know it just might make the league more attractive from a money perspective in the long run. And let’s not forget, the league was arguably at its strongest from a European standing and quality of player pov when the league was larger.
In a word - noDo you think we'll ever see a 18 team premiership in Scotland.
I personally hate the split, and it is only done to manage the number of games played over a season.
Think 18 teams would lead to 34 games, and would bring in revenue to smaller clubs.
Realise, it would theoretically mean many easier games, but over the longer term the smaller clubs get revenue streams.
Plus some of the championship teams have been in the top flight recently, Kilmarnock, Inverness, Partick, Hamilton etc
Has there ever been any talk of this?
I'm not against the idea of a bigger league, far from it - I've always advocated that there should be a bigger league. More variety and only facing an opponent twice a season adds to the fixture. I also think that we'd be OK in terms of ST sales going on what we've been through the past 10 years.They will if they're winning more games and not dropping as many points to the big 2, more chance of a proper title challenge. Even if ST prices were dropped a little, 16/18 teams means less games and smaller squads potentially and less operating costs for matchdays, so savings elsewhere.
Is the right answerAnything that reduces the amount of times we play those diseased reptiles is very unlikely to happen I'm afraid.
Five European finals were reached in a larger league and the standard of player was undeniably higher.Aberdeen won a European trophy in a 10 team league. Dundee United reached a European Final in a 12 team league.
Five European finals were reached in a larger league and the standard of player was undeniably higher.
Yeah the split was the compromise for having more teams but still having 4 old firm games.Anything that reduces the amount of times we play those diseased reptiles is very unlikely to happen I'm afraid.
I like this idea, good solution to the problemThe only possible way to expand and make it less monotonous is to go 14 teams play twice giving 26 games then split into top 6 and bottom 8 play twice again giving top teams 36 games bottom teams 40 would keep 4 old firms so sky happy and 4 extra games for bottom 8 sides for some extra income. Will it ever happen probably not
I've favoured something similar to this for a long time but it should just be top of second quarter gets Euro spot not some team from the bottom of the league. There could be a playoff between bottom of third quartet and top 2 of bottom quarter and third in Chamionship for relegation/promotion to keep third quartet competitive.16 team league home and away 30 games split into 4 groups playing each other twice that's 36 games and usually 4 games with them. First 4 in Europe the 3 other group winners play each other for a fifth slot means meaningful games to end of season
I do get and accept the impact of the 'no ball games' and teacher strikes affecting school teams arguments etc, I grew up throughout it. Also the slow emergence of a vastly more digital culture leading kids away from football. I get that too. It might help explain a lesser uptake over time but doesn't fully explain the influx of foreign players at the expense of our youth players that did stick at it. Or managers openly saying they couldn't afford to risk giving youth a chance, not that the potential wasn't there or that they wouldn't like to.That was due to social changes rather than anything the clubs did or the size of the league.
I do get and accept the impact of the 'no ball games' and teacher strikes affecting school teams arguments etc, I grew up throughout it. Also the slow emergence of a vastly more digital culture leading kids away from football. I get that too. It might help explain a lesser uptake over time but doesn't fully explain the influx of foreign players at the expense of our youth players that did stick at it. Or managers openly saying they couldn't afford to risk giving youth a chance, not that the potential wasn't there or that they wouldn't like to.
I can accept and agree social factors played a key role in it, but the reduction in the size of the league and the subsequent focus simply on survival for the majority outside of the big 2 has clearly made a telling contribution too. It would be negligent to say otherwise. Pro youth leagues replacing reserve leagues has also taken us backwards imo and it's only been very recently we've led the way in terms of getting kids out of their comfort zones and playing against men. This has been broadly recognised and respected as the way forward for them, hence the push for Colts teams within the pyramid. All I'm arguing is that a larger league would also benefit us in the long term.
I would hate the idea of summer football and no football over the winter. It’s what gets me through the shit dark months from November to February. It’s depressing enough them months never mind no football to look forward toSummer season from March to November is how Scottish football should be played,
It would improve the product all round.
Not more teams to expand the league!
The abolition of reserve league football was also moronic. Kids don't learn the game which is another reason why there's a huge gap between successful youth football and actual first team football.
You can't change the culture of some coaches. The relegation odds of the SPL are comparable with any 'big' league. A coach that's reluctant to play youth players because there's a 1 in 12 chance the team will be relegated is hardly going to turn into Rinus Michels because the league is bigger.
Supporters are also to blame. It took Jim McLean 12 years to build a title winning team. Even the smaller teams have hardly any patience now. And Ibrox is hardly any better. Rangers fans say they want players to come through but does the support really have the patience or would it not be easier just to buy someone for the position?
It's an accumulation of lots of problems in Scotland which is why tinkering the league setup really does very little.
It should happen but it won't for many reasons. Most pressing being the collective SPFL/SFA are to incompetent to come up with a plan to integrate it smoothly.
There is no need for a small country like Scotland to have 4 tiers of league football. Cut it down to 3 tiers with bigger leagues. Teams play each other twice. It's so infuriating that no one at the top is willing to make the change or at least get the ball rolling.
As attractive as that sounds to us, where is the benefit for English Premier League and Championship clubs? Ultimately they could lose their places in those leagues to Rangers and the Septics, so why would they be interested in it? Never going to happen imo, unless a breakaway European league happens somewhere down the line.We need to be talking to the TV companies to convince them a UK league is the way forward.
Totally correct however I don't think you need to compare it to the EPL. I'm thinking about comparing Scotland to other smaller nations like Belgium, Holland, Portugal and the likes. They can comfortably have bigger leagues and less tiers whilst having massive clubs playing for them.18-14-14 was most popular pick in the big reconstruction poll for this very reason.
The irony is, I think most fans would want this across the country. The status quo has created the poor, 2 horse race that Scottish football as a whole hates. Whilst we admittedly profit from this, something needs to be done. The TV companies are losing interest in the product, with last year sky not even taking the option to air all the games they had paid for.
Short term pain, deprive them of the 4 old firm games, but to have the long term gain of revitalising the product so they may long term actually dain to show games which involve neither us or them. Otherwise it will just keep getting worse and the gap to the EPL will continue to grow.
The sooner the staleness of playing each other four times a season (minimum) is consigned to the history books, the better.
You never know it just might make the league more attractive from a money perspective in the long run. And let’s not forget, the league was arguably at its strongest from a European standing and quality of player pov when the league was larger.
I agree, an 18 team league is the best option, but unfortunately it will never happen.Do you think we'll ever see a 18 team premiership in Scotland.
I personally hate the split, and it is only done to manage the number of games played over a season.
Think 18 teams would lead to 34 games, and would bring in revenue to smaller clubs.
Realise, it would theoretically mean many easier games, but over the longer term the smaller clubs get revenue streams.
Plus some of the championship teams have been in the top flight recently, Kilmarnock, Inverness, Partick, Hamilton etc
Has there ever been any talk of this?
Frustrating
Is rangers v Aberdeen 4 times a year
That different from
Rangers v Aberdeen 2 times, and Rangers v Kilmarnock 2 times
Man City can't look forward to Norwich or Leeds
I agree, an 18 team league is the best option, but unfortunately it will never happen.
As attractive as that sounds to us, where is the benefit for English Premier League and Championship clubs? Ultimately they could lose their places in those leagues to Rangers and the Septics, so why would they be interested in it? Never going to happen imo, unless a breakaway European league happens somewhere down the line.
Scottish football needs a proper restructure from top to bottom. I'm not a fan of the split but any decent TV deal (not that there is one just now) hinges on 4 Old Firm games. 14 teams with a split after 26 games, then the top 6 playing each other home and away for a 36 game season sounds far better to me than the current shambles where you can end up playing odd numbers of home and away games.
Below that ther should be two more national divisions of 16, with at least two up and two down. Then automatic relegation/promotion to and from the bottom tier into the non league pyramid. Recent seasons have shown that there are teams like Kelty who are more than capable of coming into the league and being better than the dross who have dropped out. Every team should be able to find their true level, and sadly for some that includes going down the way.
Fails to comprehend we are also playing the likes of Ross County and Hamilton 4 times a season every year since our return.I’d rather have a 10 team league than an 18 team league. I’d rather be playing the likes of hearts Hibs Aberdeen and Dundee Utd 4 times a season as playing against teams like Ross county, hamilton etc.
As in...It's pretty obvious that we need to keep playing each other 4 times a season, which I honestly don't mind. The issue is how do we keep playing each other 4 times a season, while keeping it interesting and avoiding playing any less games. I also think if you have to do a split then it has to be more competitive - maybe resetting points for the remaining fixtures within your 6?
As in...
Rangers are 8 points clear
Then the split happens, and all reset
Then we end up losing the title...
Not feeling that one
NoIf for example the regular season (pre-split) champions the first European spot, which this year would be the CL spot, would that change your opinion?
Sounds a bit like the US sports Regular season/Post season set up. The only issue I can see is that it increases the likelihood of an Old Firm title decider which the authorities are desperate to avoid.16 team league home and away 30 games split into 4 groups playing each other twice that's 36 games and usually 4 games with them. First 4 in Europe the 3 other group winners play each other for a fifth slot means meaningful games to end of season