Making Scottish football more watchable on TV

B10P

B10P

Well-Known Member
TV money in Scotland is influenced by how watchable the average SPFL team is, so it's in our interest for all games to be more watchable on TV. There are a lot of simple ways to make games look better on TV that don't involve having to bring in World class players. Here are some rules I'd propose that would make Scottish football a better TV product and improve the value of the TV contract:

(1) If a club's average attendance falls below 60% of capacity over a season the club must:
(a) Install multi-coloured seats to create the impression of a fuller stadium and make the empty sections of their stadium look less terrible on TV (like this: https://i.ytimg.com/vi/r-691SzkXb0/hqdefault.jpg )
(b) In the following season the club must sell tickets in the stand opposite the main TV camera, and behind the goals, before selling tickets to other parts of the ground.
(c) The club must play background crowd noise in the stadium to create the impression of an atmosphere. [Before going mental over this one, remember that this is as much about punishment and the stigma of having to do this. Not all teams would have to do this, just the ones that are currently dragging the quality of the TV product down.]

(2) Referees should be instructed to officiate all games in exactly the same way a Champions League game would be officiated. That simple change (which could happen overnight with zero cost) alone would make life for 3 or 4 teams in the league impossible and they would have no choice but to start playing a more visually attractive style of football.

(3) The location provided in a stadium for TV cameras must be a certain height and distance from the touchline. This would stop games looking rubbish on TV because the camera angle is too low or too close to the pitch. Some Scottish top league games look like Sunday league football simply because of the location of the TV camera. If a club is unable to create a TV gantry in a suitable location then they would not be eligible to play in the top league.

(4) Pitches must be real grass and be would be assessed each game to make sure they meet certain quality criteria; not just to be playable, but also to be nice and green. A pristine, rolled grass pitch immediately creates a high quality impression, and also gives players the best chance to put on a good game of football.

(5) All clubs must contribute to a PR/marketing fund to pro-actively create a brand for Scottish football. There are a lot of good things about Scottish football to build a brand around, such as history. For example, a lot of football firsts are from Scotland, and there must be 100s of Scottish people that founded football clubs/associations around the World. At the moment the image of Scottish football is created by the media, and because negativity sells in Scotland it drags down the brand. The league as whole has to get pro-active about building a brand and a story to help make it relatable to people. Americans would lap up all the history stuff for example.

Some of these ideas would have a cost but I think it would be more than covered by the increase in the value of Scottish football as a TV product. Wealth in football is all about TV these days so we should be willing to consider major changes to keep pace with that.
 
Point 1b is something they introduced in La Liga a year or 2 back. Clubs are fined if they dont follow the rule. So it looks as though stadiums are fuller when trying to sell their product abroad

Dont like the idea of artificial atmosphere

The grass pitches is an obvious one and should be an absolute must
 
Consistent and honest refereeing would make all the difference. If the refs booked players for bad tackles the same as they do Rangers players, there would be a lot less hammer throwers in the league, as they would see more reds dished out, and a lot less managers setting opposition players as targets, because going down to 10 or potentially 9 would get them a drubbing and the sack.
It also then allows the decent footballers more time and space without fear of some idiot trying to chop them down. This leads to a fairer contest and a good spectacle for neutrals.
If only....
 
Khal Drogo said:
Point 1b is something they introduced in La Liga a year or 2 back. Clubs are fined if they dont follow the rule. So it looks as though stadiums are fuller when trying to sell their product abroad

Dont like the idea of artificial atmosphere

The grass pitches is an obvious one and should be an absolute must
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Agreed re the artificial atmosphere and plastic pitches.
 
I think the gaffer said if it were upto him he would change the camera location to make the stadiums look fuller.

On the other points I don’t think they’re enforceable as such.
The refereeing needs to be addressed.
VAR is a farce but adds drama (cost maybe an issue)
Playing on grass should be a pre-requisite for top flight football.
 
Have the commentary team and extended guests talk up the positives of the game.
Show more replays of skills and less time on x100 different speeds and angles trying to find controversy.
Extend this into post-match analysis, instead of trying to find somewhere that Alfredo gave somebody a nasty look, maybe spend time looking at tactics, why a team won.

Its getting close to a Wrestling show style now where the action is only a small part of it and all the off-field stuff gets built up like a third rate soap opera.
 
Thats all smoke and mirrors im afraid mate

Grassroots its where it needs to change, the long ball 100mph game we play needs changed, the notion 'hes too small' to make it needs binned and we teach kids to pass ball around on the deck at pace.

I coach 7 year olds and they make us play non competitive non tiered games where development teams are put up against boys much more advanced and getting beat 20-nil helping no1

Its non competitive till they are about 12 so no real winning mentality because there's no leagues and nothing to win, we are coached to teach them that winning doesnt matter untill they are teenagers then it matters.

We need to look at other nations and copy their youth development imo.

Untill the product gets better then no1 will want to watch, youth development is where we need to start.
 
I can agree with a lot of these points- especially grass pitches

But I'm concerned that t.v. will end up with even more influence than they already have -
I mean the number of games I've missed attending at the stadium already because of 'weird' match days / times is already too many for those with a long journey to the ground (like I have) - or work commitments on a monday after a Sunday game

As for advertising hordings & camera angles - if Irc there was a 'scandal' in the 90's where it was suggested that players celebrating a goal - run to a particular advert - where the cameras can get it in the background

These sort of things will increase the more t.v. companies influence gets bigger imo
 
Monty_greenock34 said:
Thats all smoke and mirrors im afraid mate

Grassroots its where it needs to change, the long ball 100mph game we play needs changed, the notion 'hes too small' to make it needs binned and we teach kids to pass ball around on the deck at pace.

I coach 7 year olds and they make us play non competitive non tiered games where development teams are put up against boys much more advanced and getting beat 20-nil helping no1

Its non competitive till they are about 12 so no real winning mentality because there's no leagues and nothing to win, we are coached to teach them that winning doesnt matter untill they are teenagers then it matters.

We need to look at other nations and copy their youth development imo.

Untill the product gets better then no1 will want to watch, youth development is where we need to start.
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Totally agreed. Players need to be taught to love the ball, from a young age, not just hump
It long. Maybe more exercises and less games? It takes a cultural and footballing mindset shift for this to succeed. Winning at all costs matters to us and the bheasts and is vital to the survival of the little clubs in the Premier league. Maybe the financial aspects need to change for the other clubs, in terms of prize money, etc. as we need the emphasis to change from physicality to skill.
 
when refs are more tolerant and let play continue as much as needed like an old firm game with drop balls etc it would create a better atmosphere and more watchable imo
 
Superrangers said:
Totally agreed. Players need to be taught to love the ball, from a young age, not just hump
It long. Maybe more exercises and less games? It takes a cultural and footballing mindset shift for this to succeed. Winning at all costs matters to us and the bheasts and is vital to the survival of the little clubs in the Premier league. Maybe the financial aspects need to change for the other clubs, in terms of prize money, etc. as we need the emphasis to change from physicality to skill.
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Defo mate, doesnt help when u have guys like strachan (whos actually one of smallest ever scotland players) saying we need taller stronger players, nothing about smarter and more skillfull players. Scotlands approach to the beautifull game is terrible. I cant see it changing anytime soon.

We at our we local club teach them everything they should about ball work, passing, no long balls ect but as soon as the senior teams scoop them up they get taught the opposite, conveyer belt of players getting scooped up at 7 years old, train with rangers and celtic for few months then told they have to leave.

Shattering young boys mental state when they do that, i see it with my own eyes and its infuriating.
 
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Grass pitches. Get more people into the grounds. Places like Aberdeen St Johnstone Dundee (last season) and soon to be Kilmarnock if the home club can't sell out then more tickets should be made available to the away support.
 
Monty_greenock34 said:
Defo mate, doesnt help when u have guys like strachan (whos actually one of smallest ever scotland players) saying we need taller stronger players, nothing about smarter and more skillfull players. Scotlands approach to the beautifull game is terrible. I cant see it changing anytime soon.

We at our we local club teach them everything they should about ball work, passing, no long balls ect but as soon as the senior teams scoop them up they get taught the opposite, conveyer belt of players getting scooped up at 7 years old, train with rangers and celtic for few months then told they have to leave.

Shattering young boys mental state when they do that, i see it with my own eyes and its infuriating.
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It’s difficult when the top league is what it is and when kids watching it aspire (no kidding honestly) to play in that environment. The key is development of ball skills, dribbling, passing, shooting, setpieces. I think we need to focus on teaching kids how to play football and not necessarily on how to win games at a young age. That can come later. Hoofing the ball should be the last ditch option, not the go-to solution. Refereeing also needs to adapt, to protect players and not encourage physical intimidation. Those days are gone. That is where the SFA can start to earn their corn.
 
Monty_greenock34 said:
Thats all smoke and mirrors im afraid mate

Grassroots its where it needs to change, the long ball 100mph game we play needs changed, the notion 'hes too small' to make it needs binned and we teach kids to pass ball around on the deck at pace.

I coach 7 year olds and they make us play non competitive non tiered games where development teams are put up against boys much more advanced and getting beat 20-nil helping no1

Its non competitive till they are about 12 so no real winning mentality because there's no leagues and nothing to win, we are coached to teach them that winning doesnt matter untill they are teenagers then it matters.

We need to look at other nations and copy their youth development imo.

Untill the product gets better then no1 will want to watch, youth development is where we need to start.
Click to expand...

I agree that the long term solution lies as grass-roots level. However football is now (in terms of money) a TV product, so the superficial appearance of everything on the TV screen makes a difference to how entertaining people find it.
 
EndOfDays said:
Start showing all our best games, Killie v St Mirren on Sky when Rangers v Aberdeen is untelevised and we wonder why they pay a pittance for it.
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Not sure how much extra that would generate, normally games at the sheep are televised.

Maybe a minimum guaranteed amount of cash to each club would be better than a minimum amount of games?
 
Two relatively simple things for me would be stop putting games on the telly when stadiums are only half full. Looks amateurish.

The other one would be using the multi-ball system. Drives me nuts when it takes forever for the ball to get put back into play after some hammer thrower launches it over a tin-pot stand.
 
TQ3 said:
Consistent and honest refereeing would make all the difference. If the refs booked players for bad tackles the same as they do Rangers players, there would be a lot less hammer throwers in the league, as they would see more reds dished out, and a lot less managers setting opposition players as targets, because going down to 10 or potentially 9 would get them a drubbing and the sack.
It also then allows the decent footballers more time and space without fear of some idiot trying to chop them down. This leads to a fairer contest and a good spectacle for neutrals.
If only....
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This is probably the first necessary step.

And ... it's also just about the only one that DOESN'T require money to be spent !!

Just get them to do their fecking jobs honestly and properly, and without a penny of expense the whole game is improved, for spectators and players.
 
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Superrangers said:
Not sure how much extra that would generate, normally games at the sheep are televised.

Maybe a minimum guaranteed amount of cash to each club would be better than a minimum amount of games?
Click to expand...

The 4 games a season from 1 stadium means big games dont get shown and garbage games do.

We should be going to Sky and saying - You can show every game between Rangers, Hearts, Hibs, Aberdeen & celtic + all other away games for Rangers and celtic.
 
EndOfDays said:
The 4 games a season from 1 stadium means big games dont get shown and garbage games do.

We should be going to Sky and saying - You can show every game between Rangers, Hearts, Hibs, Aberdeen & celtic + all other away games for Rangers and celtic.
Click to expand...
Indeed but only for the right money and then the money should go to making the game better (ie some of the cash more evenly distributed to increase competition).
 
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Seems like the scum are doing a few of these already especially when it comes to making the "stadium" look fuller, either that or don't pan up to the empty higher tiers, also creating an "atmosphere" by playing crowd noises and nice "tunes" over the tannoys , and of course they have the disco lights as well.

Seems little point in introducing some of these measures when some grounds don't even have a stand behind the goals or you can see a bus driving down the street when someones away to take a corner !

But getting rid of the plants at the SFA and blazer brigade who are just in it for themselves and maintaining the status quo would help, also a purge of the refs who certainly manage our games to a different standard and allow the hammer throwers, fakers and time-wasters to have a big impact on spoiling and slowing down the game. One cheap and easy solution to introduce that would speed up the game and cut out a lot of the time wasting would be multi-ball can't understand why that hasn't been made mandatory at all senior levels by UEFA \ FIFA is beyond me.
 
Scottish football will never attract big TV money. It doesn't have the marketable stars that foreign TV companies will want to show. It's basically schedule filler. For UK broadcasters? Pretty much the same thing. There's a bigger attraction for lower league English football than for top flight Scottish football.

What we really need is to sell our game to fans. Get more fans though the doors of clubs. We have an ageing fanbase and have had for the past 30 years. I went to my first Rangers game in 1987 (3-1 win over Dunfermline if I remember correctly) when I was just about to turn 8. Growing up I was one of the few in my class who went to football games on a Saturday afternoon.

If we don't get fans through the turnstiles then we won't have a game to try to sell to TV. Get more fans to go along on a Saturday. Change the age profile of your typical Scottish football fan. A bigger and younger crowd opens up marketing opportunities but the key thing is trying to ensure that clubs have a fan base in the first place. Too many clubs are losing fans to old age, illness or disengagement with the game.
 
If a game is selected for television there should be a (sensible) maximum ticket price to encourage more 'home fans' to be there.
Nothing looks worse than a half empty stadium and nothing gets on my t1ts more than knowing we are getting charged more than other supporters, especially when the cnuts are getting TV money on top of the blue pound
 
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