ranger_syntax

I'm afraid I don't agree with either point. There is no reason to expect these fans to support other senior clubs rather than a local team. Even if they did the effect would be insignificant. Neither would fewer divisions make the remaining ones more competitive.

People often bring this up but I almost never see anyone attempt to qualify it. Too many senior clubs for what?

I take it that this is designed to tease any lurking Hearts fans. If senior football clubs start to merge I think that people will turn away from the game altogether. I would if it happened to my team.

It's going to be interesting to see what happens here. Will Hearts still be playing at Tynecastle next season? Will they still be in the top division if they opt for a Newco?

With all other things being equal I'd say that's true.

Longmuir, and someone earlier in this thread, mentioned a 3-2-1 system of governance. Does anyone know if this is the proportion of board members or something else? Either way I suspect this means that the top 22 teams (3 + 2 = 5) will be in control and the bottom 20 (1) will be left to hope and pray. I think that we would be all best to expect the top 22 to do what is in their own self interest and that any benefit for the wider game is likely to be a welcome side effect.

I'm not so sure about that. I'd like to see how democratic it is. I expect that a couple of SPL teams will be able to block anything that doesn't suit them.

The truly terrifying aspect of this episode is the way that the press continue to act as cheerleaders for people like the SFA. I've not yet heard any of the press coverage that Regan has received today but I have noticed Jane Lewis arguing in favour of further rules to tackle sectarianism. I'll make the effort to try to listen to some of it but I'd probably fall off of my chair in surprise if Regan was asked any difficult questions. This is a great opportunity for journalists to be critical. The SFA proposes to punish member clubs for the behaviour of individual supporters. This is obviously unjust. I had hoped that even a sports journalist could see that. Clubs can take reasonable measures to discourage sectarian/racist behaviour but they can't prevent it. Again the problem is obvious. It's impossible to control the consciences of other individuals. This is before we even begin to approach the problems of deciding which behaviour is unacceptable, and just implementation. But it really is naive to think that the sports press would criticise the SFA, or any other sporting body, for this. As Chris Graham correctly points out there is an anti-sectarian industry. This issue provides endless column inches for Scottish sports journalists. It allows politicians to appear as if they are doing something. It allows someone like Regan to deflect attention from his failure to address core issues in the game. All of these people benefit from gradually increasing legislation to deal with sectarianism/racism. Meanwhile supporters will enjoy the football less and less as they come under increased pressure and surveillance from the authorities and continue to be demonised by the press. It is little wonder that crowds are dwindling. They claim their labours are to build a heaven, yet their heaven is populated by horrors.

I've only recently started using this forum. One of the things that I like is that it has far less hysteria than some others. Perhaps this is why the subject was never posted. I'm not sure what the problem is anyway. If that's what it takes for Lee McCulloch to attend NARSA then fair enough. By the same token NARSA are equally entitled to decline the request. The support don't own him.

If this was not football, but some other business, would the larger company (EPL) have acquired the smaller one (SPL)?

I'd like Tom English to provide a single example of a supporter who was persuaded to buy a season ticket because of what Craig Mather said. I'm not convinced that Tom English writes articles to undermine season ticket sales. It is more likely that he will simply write anything to fill his column.

The manager tells us that he has brought in new signings to create competition for places. I'd like to think that this would help. What I suspect is that the real problem is the perceived lack of competition from other teams. This won't change and if I'm right about that then we have another season of poor football to watch. It's interesting to see a couple of comments about the cups. I'd really want to win the Ramsden's Cup. I'll be doing my best to get to these matches and if I've paid for a ticket I want to see the first choice team play. Although I'd like to do the same in the other cups I'd settle for making a decent effort. That is to say if we have to be knocked out I don't want the team to capitulate in the fashion that they did to Dundee United.

Ok, perhaps a mistake, or a joke, from the OP. I was thinking about the Wi-fi as I've often wished that we had it at half time. I then considered the potential hassle of having to pay per use. If they do bring it in I hope that you can set up an account.

Wi-fi is an interesting proposition. Does anyone know if the club plans to charge for this? Also I don't know if I have missed something here but is Dublin seen to be an untapped market?

I think you only need something like 10-15% to call an E.G.M.

The idea of an SPL2 fast track is terrible. I'm really surprised to see support for it among Rangers fans. It's obviously tempting but a moment of reflection should make anyone realise that it would ruin Scottish football even more than it already has been. We all turn up to the football to see a contest where the best team wins. Fast tracking any team abandons the idea that teams should progress according to sporting merit. It reduces the Scottish league system to a matter of who has the most fans. That is to say no longer even pretending to be about what happens on the pitch. Why should any supporters turn up in those circumstances? I'd understand if supporters, of all teams, stopped turning up altogether. The SPL was formed as an attempt to protect a select group of clubs from failure. It has undoubtedly been bad for Scottish football. Falkirk were denied promotion. I didn't quite realise it at the time but that was a disgrace. Forced to abandon Brockville Park, near the centre of the town, for a bleak, soulless and lop sided echo chamber. Airdrieonians and Partick Thistle also invested in stadia to the detriment of both clubs. The meddling that the SPL has brought Scottish football amounts to little more than vandalism. It's important that we all remember what the game is supposed to be about and avoid being fooled by incredible notions of the greater good.

The question is how much openness are supporters actually entitled to?

The criterion should be competence. As Frankie mentions we can't make any decisions without knowing what people intend to do.

I followed you a while back. But I had taken the trouble to read your tweets and could tell that you're not a bad egg.

@ranger_syntax

What do you think that the difference is between our various owners and those of clubs who make it work?

I agree with some of this but not all. I'm not sure he will be a great signing but I think he will probably do well enough over the next two years. You are right to point out his contrast to Templeton, McKay and Little. I think that this is why McCoist wants to sign him. He wants the option to play a big guy up front. I think that this is why he signed Kyle last year too. When he signed Kyle I was surprised as I thought McCulloch would play that role but I think we can all see that when McCulloch plays it will probably be at the back or in midfield. You also mention his resale value. In an ideal world we would only sign a young player who fulfils his potential before we sell him for a nice profit. In reality the manager needs to balance that against the need to achieve short term goals. When you consider that alongside the constraints that we still face in the transfer market is it any wonder that we will make signings that are imperfect? I'm not sure that it is a big problem either.

A player who understands the importance of hard work and continued effort. I hope it catches on.

Great password that they gave Craig Whyte: Rangers1! Although I think Craig Whyte has supplied Charlotte with this information it would be no surprise to find that the data room had been hacked also.