Uefa warms to idea of cross-border leagues to close Europe’s wealth divide

[calscot 0]

it's not wholly down to Sky though. The English leagues were superior to Scottish leagues long before Sky came on the scene.

 

Not that long - I still vividly remember the Battle of Britain. But our full league can never compete with 5m population for 12 teams against 55m population for 20 teams.

[JFK-1 1,693]

It may not be wholly down to sky but I would guess it's a huge factor. Or is it just a coincidence that as the billions flowing into England consistently grew our domestic game consistently went downhill as it became ever more impossible to keep any quality homegrown talent in our game?

 

Then as the reputation of our game cosnssitently falls it becomes ever harder to get anybody from anyplace to come here. The English leagues outside the EPL would be little better if they were in our position and it goes without saying that the EPL itself would be no world beater if all that TV money were going to say Germany rather than England.

[boabie 230]

It may not be wholly down to sky but I would guess it's a huge factor. Or is it just a coincidence that as the billions flowing into England consistently grew our domestic game consistently went downhill as it became ever more impossible to keep any quality homegrown talent in our game?

 

Then as the reputation of our game cosnssitently falls it becomes ever harder to get anybody from anyplace to come here. The English leagues outside the EPL would be little better if they were in our position and it goes without saying that the EPL itself would be no world beater if all that TV money were going to say Germany rather than England.

 

It wasn't that long ago that we were able to match the English clubs when it came to wages mate.

If enough money was on offer then even the best player in the world would come to play in Scotland. It's all about the money - unfortunately, for several reasons there is none in the game here.

[JFK-1 1,693]

It wasn't that long ago that we were able to match the English clubs when it came to wages mate.

If enough money was on offer then even the best player in the world would come to play in Scotland. It's all about the money - unfortunately, for several reasons there is none in the game here.

 

I agree, it simply gets my goat when I see English fans suggesting going to Rangers as being a step down even for a league 1 player while implying that it has anything to do with anything but the TV money down there.

[boabie 230]

I agree, it simply gets my goat when I see English fans suggesting going to Rangers as being a step down even for a league 1 player while implying that it has anything to do with anything but the TV money down there.

 

From my previous experience of living and working beside the average English fan I'd say 95% of them know the square root of hee-haw about Scottish football.

They are probably correct in many cases btw. But are speaking from the wrong perspective. As you say, it's all to do with the money.

[colinstein 294]

my English experience goes back to when Colin stein and Willie Johnston were playing for Coventry and West Brom respectively. English fans described Scottish football as watching the game played in slow motion. Frankly, I agreed with them.

Apart from both us and the tims despatching Leeds, the rest of European competition against English opposition saw us getting gubbed . Both Newcastle and Leeds turned us over.

The English leagues were far better and it wasn't Sky what done it

[alexscottislegend 2,320]

my English experience goes back to when Colin stein and Willie Johnston were playing for Coventry and West Brom respectively. English fans described Scottish football as watching the game played in slow motion. Frankly, I agreed with them.

Apart from both us and the tims despatching Leeds, the rest of European competition against English opposition saw us getting gubbed . Both Newcastle and Leeds turned us over.

The English leagues were far better and it wasn't Sky what done it

 

That was always the standard argument - that Scottish football was slower-paced. I got fed up hearing that players had to adjust to the pace of the English game. It didn't stop most of our stars like the 2 you mention prospering down south though. Since then Scottish football seems to gone to the other extreme, maybe to the detriment of skill.

[buster. 5,185]

Generally, the English have always disregarded football played north of the border but have been prepared to acknowledge and praise those Scots who go South and do well.

 

In the past, whenever Scottish sides beat an English team it was treated as 'giant-killing' or a shock result. The English have generally held arrogant opinions about their football sides and their place in the pecking order whilst the Scots have done similar but at a different level and in a different style.

 

Now that so much money has entered the English top tier, it may aswell be a different sport from what is played in Scotland and because of that it becomes ever more difficult to envisage a sufficient bridging of the gap so as to be able to land on the side of milk and honey when competition's change format (eg. meetings in December 2016 re. European tournament format change) or other changes.