Starting Anew
Well-Known Member
It’s just bonkers. There are 4 issues to consider here:
1) Promotion and relegation. The effect of relegation on hearts or promotion on Dundee Utd are huge. Equally so on Inverness, Dundee, Ayr and Hamilton. And the ‘sporting integrity’ police would have a field day on the last 4 if current league positions are left final as how do you do the play-offs with ‘integrity’? Similar issues apply in all divisions. I really don’t know what a fair solution to that is but it certainly demonstrates why just saying that current standings are final is hugely problematic.
2) finances. Most leagues allocate prize money in line with league position. Ours is spectacularly unequally weighted towards the top and particularly towards the champions. This cannot stand this year. Not only is it impossible to claim with any integrity that current positions would have been final at all league positions, the need for cash outweighs the usual set up and everyone needs a share of there might not be a league to come back to. Current standings are meaningless and cash has to get distributed equitably for the good of the game.
3) European positions. Firstly, the idea that any European competition will be running as normal by September, much less July for qualifiers, seems a bit of wishful thinking. The usual rules cannot apply. Secondly, it would seem ridiculous to allocate positions on current standings. Who in hell do they give the Scottish Cup position to? It’s bloody obvious that the usual rules can’t apply. The only thing that makes any sense at all is just to allocate European entry based on the standings in the last completed season before European Competition resumes - ie go to where we were at the start of this season. It would, however, seem fair to allocate European points based on the games that were completed this season to seed entry.
Notably, within Scotland, this makes bugger all difference to anything with regard to us and Celtic other than both of us benefitting from the points tally. But Celtic would still get the CL route.
4) bragging rights. This is just laughable. Any fan group that thinks that this season gives them any sort of glory from an unfinished season while folk are dying really needs a good long sit down with a shrink.
(1) makes no difference to Celtic or us. (2) should make no difference either as cash should be equal to all and we’ll both ‘lose’ money to the smaller clubs. (3) makes no difference as they’d still get the champion’s route. So the only thing that they are arguing about is (4). Which is pathetic.
1) Promotion and relegation. The effect of relegation on hearts or promotion on Dundee Utd are huge. Equally so on Inverness, Dundee, Ayr and Hamilton. And the ‘sporting integrity’ police would have a field day on the last 4 if current league positions are left final as how do you do the play-offs with ‘integrity’? Similar issues apply in all divisions. I really don’t know what a fair solution to that is but it certainly demonstrates why just saying that current standings are final is hugely problematic.
2) finances. Most leagues allocate prize money in line with league position. Ours is spectacularly unequally weighted towards the top and particularly towards the champions. This cannot stand this year. Not only is it impossible to claim with any integrity that current positions would have been final at all league positions, the need for cash outweighs the usual set up and everyone needs a share of there might not be a league to come back to. Current standings are meaningless and cash has to get distributed equitably for the good of the game.
3) European positions. Firstly, the idea that any European competition will be running as normal by September, much less July for qualifiers, seems a bit of wishful thinking. The usual rules cannot apply. Secondly, it would seem ridiculous to allocate positions on current standings. Who in hell do they give the Scottish Cup position to? It’s bloody obvious that the usual rules can’t apply. The only thing that makes any sense at all is just to allocate European entry based on the standings in the last completed season before European Competition resumes - ie go to where we were at the start of this season. It would, however, seem fair to allocate European points based on the games that were completed this season to seed entry.
Notably, within Scotland, this makes bugger all difference to anything with regard to us and Celtic other than both of us benefitting from the points tally. But Celtic would still get the CL route.
4) bragging rights. This is just laughable. Any fan group that thinks that this season gives them any sort of glory from an unfinished season while folk are dying really needs a good long sit down with a shrink.
(1) makes no difference to Celtic or us. (2) should make no difference either as cash should be equal to all and we’ll both ‘lose’ money to the smaller clubs. (3) makes no difference as they’d still get the champion’s route. So the only thing that they are arguing about is (4). Which is pathetic.