The future of scottish football

[neutralscot 0]

Bit off topic for a gers site, but how do people here view the future for scottish clubs?

 

The top five leagues are now so far in the distance that any future european success for a scottish club now appears to be fanciful.

 

England are never going to allow us to play within their leagues. The bottom english club now earns more than a quarter of a billion from tv every five years whilst SPFL winners will receive around 10 million.

 

Personally, I'd approach the dutch and belgian leagues and try hammer out a northern european amalgamation before the damage done to these countries is irreparable, with promotion and relegation from national setups.

 

The old firm both made a second tier euro final last decade. Both clubs spent 30 million (on debt) or so achieving it. Now I'm not so sure that 30 million will come close to providing the squad capable of euro success.

 

IMO the football landscape has changed into a place we have never been before. We are in danger of being permanently left behind, despite the fact our fans are possibly the best in the world.

 

Our grand children will grow up as barca / munich / arsenal fans first, scottish clubs second, if we don't arrest the situation.

[26th of foot 6,082]

I remember the late, great Bob Crampsey speculating in the late 70s/early 80s on the dangers of TV. He was a great Cricket(member of Somerset CCC) and Baseball fan. He used both these sports to highlight the pernicious nature of constant TV live coverage. Crowds at both these sports at that time were dwindling rapidly, and specifically he talked about the growing evidence that children in Atlanta, Chicago, LA, .... etc were just as likely to be Boston Red Sox or New York Yankees fans, as to be fans of their home city clubs.

 

On the streets of Scotland, it's a cosmopolitan approach to children replete in replica kits, both Barca and to a lesser degree, Real Madrid, and half a dozen English teams are as popular as any Scottish club. Twenty years of every breath and fart of CL has ensured this and proved auld Bob correct. It's the same in Belgium, when I was a kid, drawing Anderlect or Standard Liege was tantamount to a gubbing. Where are they now? Could Lokeren achieve back to back Euro Cup wins now? The landscape has changed, forever.

 

The law of diminishing returns awaits and to some, like Cosgrove that is most appealing. We are doomed to the suburbs of Brigadoon East with Establishment Stu' patrolling the streets.

[Hildy 0]

Dismal.

 

I agree that a league should be proposed between leading clubs in Holland, Belgium, Scotland, Austria, Portugal and one or two other smaller countries. This proposal has been described as an Atlantic League in the past.

 

Could Scottish clubs play in the English league? Yes, they could. If the UK remains united there will need to be a political initiative to stave off Scottish nationalism in the future. A limited integration of leading Scottish clubs into the English game would likely be a part of this. The FA could be pressurised by the 'political establishment' to make it happen. It's not that difficult.

 

Would England really want Scotland to have such close football ties (Atlantic League) with a variety of European countries rather than with itself? Probably not.

 

If the Scottish league continues as it is and Rangers and Celtic remain in it, you are correct - Scotland's children will be drawn to the English and European elite rather than following the mundane and substandard Scottish game. Rangers and Celtic, big as they are, will not be able to compete with the glamour of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Manchester United.

 

Summing up: if things don't change, doom and gloom will be our future. If they do change though, there is a degree of hope, if not a cast iron guarantee, that the situation will improve.

[Scott7 6,002]

The days of 60,000 for Hubz v Hertz at Easter Road with the gates shut at noon for 2 pm kick-off are long gone but Edinburgh should be able to support two teams with a 20,000 weekly attendance. What prevents it? The answer isRangers and Celtic - partly because Edinburgh fans are drawn away (more to Ibrox than to Parkhead) but more because of the perception that only Rangers or Celtic can win anything and also a perception encouraged by the Press that all mid table games are meaningless. Every match is a contest. Should you not turn out to see if your team can win it?

 

A change in attitude is needed. The English don't seem to have this problem. Most of them go and watch their team. West Brom have attendances that only one Spfl club can match.

 

Amalgamation of the Dundee clubs is sensible on paper. But would it work? ICT are not a well supported team due in large part to amalgamation with the result that a village team nearby, Ross County, have proportionally bigger attendances.

 

I don't know the solution but I fear that Scottish football is soon going to be the same as League of Ireland or the Welsh League.

[RANGERRAB 3,653]

There's a very easy but cynical answer to this - don't vote out the biggest and most successful club out of the top division.Not only that but the bile and hatred directed at it in the summer of 2012 has led to the leagues being unable to get a sponsor bringing in much needed revenue and money is something scottish clubs are in dire shortage of? What company CEO would want their name associated with the SPFL ? Answer-none.

[neutralscot 0]

Rab, whilst the absence of RFC has been catastrophic for our game (and the mighty Hibs, and Hearts now also), I think our long term problems are running much deeper.

[Stimpy 0]

Culture change is needed and we need to start at the bottom with kids. The current generation is lost to the sub-standards on show but we can make the future better. Biggest issue is embracing change and getting rid of the small town mentality that inhabits managers, players, journalists and supporters alike.

[Ser Barristan Selmy 222]

Going slightly off at a tangent but you would think by the law of averages we would produce a very top level player once in a while. Wales have had Giggs and Bale, Ireland have had Roy Keane then also the likes of Given, Duff and Robbie Keane who all starred in the Premiership for big clubs. There's various reasons for why we are so poor but its particularly worrying that we don't even seem capable to produce the odd gem. When is the last time Scotland had a player who was anything resembling world class? When is the last time Scotland had a player who stood out in a big league?

[BrahimHemdani 1]

I have always thought that an amalgamation of the Dundee Clubs into a Dundee City was obvious but nearly got killed one day by an Arab for having the temerity of making such a suggestion. I have never understood how it is that if Aberdeen can only support one Club (barely) Dundee can support two (it can't).

 

There are far too many so called "senior" football clubs in Scotland. Clubs like Forfar, Brechin, Arbroath & Montrose should be amalgamated and/or become feeder clubs for St Johnstone, Dundee or Aberdeen. Ditto, Motherwell and Hamilton, Morton & Dumbarton, Dunfermline/Cowdenbeath/Raith Rovers/East Fife, Stirling Albion/East Stirling/Falkirk etc

 

Get it down to one or possibly two divisions of 16 or one 16 and 2x12 or even two 10's; something like that. We need to concentrate our megre resources on a smaller number of teams.

[RANGERRAB 3,653]

I have always thought that an amalgamation of the Dundee Clubs into a Dundee City was obvious but nearly got killed one day by an Arab for having the temerity of making such a suggestion. I have never understood how it is that if Aberdeen can only support one Club (barely) Dundee can support two (it can't).

 

There are far too many so called "senior" football clubs in Scotland. Clubs like Forfar, Brechin, Arbroath & Montrose should be amalgamated and/or become feeder clubs for St Johnstone, Dundee or Aberdeen. Ditto, Motherwell and Hamilton, Morton & Dumbarton, Dunfermline/Cowdenbeath/Raith Rovers/East Fife, Stirling Albion/East Stirling/Falkirk etc

 

Get it down to one or possibly two divisions of 16 or one 16 and 2x12 or even two 10's; something like that. We need to concentrate our megre resources on a smaller number of teams.

 

Agree with all of this but will never happen.Amalgamation should happen but won't unfortunately.

There are also too many senior clubs in Scotland who would be better off joining the junior or even amateur ranks. They are senior clubs in name only who contribute nothing to the professional game