Real Madrid will get �£107M from tv every YEAR

[calscot 0]

http://www.setanta.com/portal/article/football::european?open&articleid=06bc312956e2d4618025722c005d997a

 

Just how the hell are we going to compete with that?

 

It's getting beyond a joke now.

[Leppardized2001 0]

Yeah, and they also seem to be buying the best up and coming youngsters from South America. Looks like the days of the 'Galactico's' are well and truly over.

 

 

Malky

[pete 2,499]

The rich are getting richer and the poor,poorer. I can only seeing a Euro superleague being created in the future as only a handfull of clubs can get anywhere near that.

Unfortunatly i don't see us ever playing in it.

[stewarty 1,959]

Jeezo, and we think the gulf between the Old Firm and the rest of Scotland is big.

[calscot 0]

The only way we can survive as a top European team is to leave the SPL be it for the EPL, an Atlantic league or a Euro league...

 

The way things are going in the big 5 countries, I think an Atlantic league model is almost inevitable but may be too little too late. I think the best solution for us would be to form a league with Holland and Belgium with 6 teams from each league and the top 8 qualifying for Europe - 4 CL and 4 UEFA, plus four in the Intertoto. Less than we have collectively at the moment but then the succession leagues in each could also get 3 places each. Bigger teams could easily get through the intertoto.

 

So the question is, would a league of say:

 

Celtic

Rangers

Aberdeen

Hibs

Hearts

Kilmarnock

 

PSV

Ajax

Alkmaar

Feyenoord

FC Twente

FC Groningen

 

Genk

Anderlecht

Brugge

Charleroi

Standard Liege

Westerlo

 

make you more excited enough to pay more for tickets and live games on TV? Would you be more likely to take in a home game at a higher price to warrant a stadium expansion? That's at least another 7 top teams.

 

The bottom three teams could be relegated and replaced by the three champions of the country leagues.

 

And the 3 second places plus the fourth bottom could play off for a spot too.

I think it's the only we we can keep up.

[Gribz 787]

The Atlantic league sounded the most relistic at the time as there was serious discussion in it.

 

I like the thought of your idea Calscot with the bottom team from each country being relegated back to domestic league. However the SPL would die without Rangers and Celtic, never mind taking Aberdeen Hearts and Hibs out.

 

Then theres the problem of expecting fans to travel to europe every 2nd week for a game unless its a Scottish side. Therefore linking up with 1 other euro country is more realistic but there wouldnt be much point in that.

[calscot 0]

I like the thought of your idea Calscot with the bottom team from each country being relegated back to domestic league. However the SPL would die without Rangers and Celtic, never mind taking Aberdeen Hearts and Hibs out.

 

The SPL wouldn't die just like the 1st division isn't dead. You'd be left with something between the bottom of the SPL and the top of the 1st. The standard wouldn't be the same without the money the big clubs bring but some of the teams would thrive when they can actally win something and qualify for Europe.

 

I think it would be far better than the Welsh league who also do without their best three teams as we have more people and our first sport is football and not Rugby.

 

For the similar reasons it would be better than the Irish league too. Possibly similar to the Scandanavian leagues.

 

Then theres the problem of expecting fans to travel to europe every 2nd week for a game unless its a Scottish side. Therefore linking up with 1 other euro country is more realistic but there wouldnt be much point in that.

 

I don't think travelling fans would be a big part of it and for the bigger teams they wouldn't miss it any way. We don't get much income from Dunfermline fans etc. You don't get many Portsmouth fans going to Newcastle and vice versa.

 

The away games in other countries would all be live on television anyway.

 

However if you want to travel, my scenario only has travel to Belgium and Holland which are next to each other and can be pretty cheap by easy jet - as cheap as a train to Aberdeen. I'm sure there would be cheap charters too.

And there are the overnight ferries from Newcastle.

 

It wouldn't be that much harder than if we joined the Premiership - it's more expesive to fly to Liverpool or Portsmouth than Amsterdam and quite a lot of hours by coach.

 

Basically I don't think it's a problem as there would just be less travelling to away games except the five in Scotland and fans would watch them on telly instead. The money saved could be used to cherry pick the away games at Ajax, PSV, Feyenoord and Anderlecht.

 

It would probably mean more subscribers to the telly package and so more tv money to the clubs.

 

But think of the demand for tickets for home games - I think we could justify expanding the stadium for even more income as well as an increase in ticket price for a higher quality product.

[Gribz 787]

Calscot - EH!! Are you telling me it costs the same to go from Glasgow to Gent (yes where is that after you fly to Brussels for 120 quid?) as it does to take a 25 quid train from Aberdeen to Glasgow!!

 

I think you should be a travel agent if thats the case!!!