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azzuri · 'Our Scotland' Fossil Joined: 12 Sep 2005 Posts: 3776

Would you like to see scottish football restructured? -

if so, how?

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SLG · Posted: Tue Dec 06, 2005 4:49 pm Post subject:

Yes. In fact I think it is essential that the game is restructured.

The main thing I would like to see is the leagues expanded, leading to increased relegation and promotion. Playing the same team four times a season in the league is too much.

With an expanded league we could probably do away with the third division. But there would have to be promotion and relegation between the national leagues and revamped regional leagues. I think it would also be very beneficial for the Junior and Senior leagues to merge.

azzuri · 'Our Scotland' Fossil Joined: 12 Sep 2005 Posts: 3776

agreed about merger senior and junior football - ayrshire juniors would become even more exciting!

As for the SPL - hopefully the old firm will disappear in 5-10 years time and we can start afresh with an 18 team top league - 34 games a season.

This would allow a winter break during january if needed, but I personally would like to see Scottish Football played through March to mid-November.

Attendances would rise over the course of a season with people more likely to attend on a warm july afternoon than a pissing wet, pitch black january afternoon. Also more likely to get more kids out kicking a ball about inspired by their team at the weekend in July than January - to me this seems a no brainer and don't undertsnad why this wasn't done sooner - it's not like the league will be losing lots of international players for tournaments like the last few decades!!!!

This would also allow a more competitive deal in terms of TV monies for Scottish Clubs - surely Sky and the bookies would be interested in showing football all year round and betting on football 12 months a year - this would ignite interest from England in Scottish Football - with more viewers therefore upping the value of the league to Sky in terms of adverts etc.
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"Every single person on this planet is unique. Just like everyone else..." - Random Guy in Edinburgh Pub

Possibly the funniest site in the world, 'The Daily Mash' - http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/

SLG · Posted: Tue Dec 06, 2005 5:16 pm Post subject:

I'm definitely in favour of summer football. The days where everyone goes on holiday on mass over the summer are over and it would lead to larger crowds. I never thought about the effect on a likely tv deal. I think you would be right. Sky (or whoever) would be desperate to show competative football over the summer and most folk in England would show some interest in the Scottish game. I wonder if the SFA/SFL/SPL have considered that...

Abieuan · Posted: Tue Dec 06, 2005 7:28 pm Post subject:

SLG · Posted: Tue Dec 06, 2005 7:53 pm Post subject:

Abieuan · Posted: Wed Dec 07, 2005 12:26 am Post subject:

SLG · Posted: Wed Dec 07, 2005 7:55 pm Post subject:

trueblue

Abieuan · Posted: Thu Dec 08, 2005 12:21 am Post subject:

SLG wrote:

Morph · Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2006 1:51 am Post subject:

Im not sure about the summer league as this might stop bigger players comin to the league if it was to be more sucessful, you only have to look at the current battle between the clubs that pay the wages and the countries, in world cup years this may be a bigger problem.

I feel the best way to resturcture the league would be to get rid of the split. I makes a mockery of the league when the team in 5th can have less points than 6th place. The system also makes the clubs who are below the cut of miss out on the cash winfalls the old firm games provide, therefore cause more debt and misery for the fans
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SLG · Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2006 12:09 pm Post subject:

Yeah a summer league might stop internationalists from the bigger countries coming. Not really a problem for most teams in the SPL though. It might actually be an advantage for players to play in the World Cup in the middle of their season when they're still fresh rather than at the end. It's the clubs that would lose out by having to release them.

Blackleaf · Posted: Sat Jan 21, 2006 7:34 pm Post subject:

SLG · Posted: Sat Jan 21, 2006 8:01 pm Post subject:

http://www.thefa.com/

"The FA was founded in 1863 as the governing body of the game in England."

The Welsh have their own FA, the FAW. The three Welsh teams that play in England play in the English league. There is a similar situation in some other leagues as well.

You might be getting confused with the regulatory body for cricket in England and Wales.

Abieuan · Posted: Sat Jan 21, 2006 8:28 pm Post subject:

Blackleaf wrote:

Rinty · Posted: Sun Jan 22, 2006 6:55 pm Post subject: h

I would separate the professional from the semi or non professional teams and make the porfessional teams have minimum requirements for grounds, staff numbers, contract security, apprentices etc, to meet the franchise.

The pyramid thing is popular at the moment but I dont know many in the Junior game who would want to step up to the seniors. I also think that many "senior" teams would play in the juniors or non-league if it wasn't for the £30k or so they are guaranteed each year from the SFA/League.

Far better to be the best team in Central Scotland than be the 39th best team in a senior league with no hope of ever winning anything. I also believe that if the cowdenbeaths of this world played in the non-leagues or juniors they would get higher crowds.

I support Celtic and Cumnock and go to matches of both teams. If Cumnock were a senior team they would be a challenger to Celtic and therefore I wouldnt support them (or perhaps support them and not Celtic) - right now i give money to both.

I'm all for summer football or at least a longer winter break and shorter summer break. Youth football should definitely be played in summer.

To sum up:- two leagues of 16 teams playing each other twice, with three being promoted/relegated and no-one being relegated from the second league to the non leagues unless they cant meet the requirements.

Morph · Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2006 12:14 am Post subject:

Although teams like ross county and inverness show that some teams from the lower and highland leagues would make a good go of semi and full profesional level football.

With a cup competion between the top junior teams and the highland legue teams an overall winner could take a place in the newly created two league structure as long as certain conditions could be met.

The team finishing bottom in the lowest divion would be relegated to let the new team in
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azzuri · 'Our Scotland' Fossil Joined: 12 Sep 2005 Posts: 3776

........so what happens if the team that wins the competition is from the highland league but the relegated team is from dumfries?

then you have an anomally.
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"Every single person on this planet is unique. Just like everyone else..." - Random Guy in Edinburgh Pub

Possibly the funniest site in the world, 'The Daily Mash' - http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/

Morph · Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2006 1:40 am Post subject:

why would you have an anomally? The only thing than may be needed would be a re structuring of the lower divisions eg the highland etc
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"An oppressive government is to be more feared than a tiger"

Rinty · Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2006 8:05 pm Post subject: h

The vast majority of junior and non-league teams would not want to step up in my opinion.