Gerrard and the European Super League

[DMAA 3,658]

38 minutes ago, Thinker said:

My preferred day-dream solution would be to see us join an Atlantic League or equivalent where we can escape to play against other teams currently "trapped" in smaller national leagues. I could get excited about games against Porto, Anderlecht, Ajax and the like, without feeling the need to sell our soul in order to compete.

In reality, most Rangers fans would rather a longer bus/train journey every other Saturday than not being able to attend at all, realistically. It is actually easier to get to Manchester than it is to get to Dingwall.

[ChelseaBoy 2,441]

1 hour ago, Thinker said:

For me, a move to another league isn't so much about ambition and chasing "success", but more to do with a desire to escape the confines of a badly organised, tinpot, and often toxic SPFL. Ideally, I'd like us to take part in a league where the other clubs are operating at a similar level, have similar sized stadia and budgets, decent pitches etc. and who actually try to play football against us. I've no desire to see Rangers ascend to Europe's higher echelons alongside the soulless, corporate superclubs, but I have absolutely loved our involvement in the Europa League since Stevie arrived. Playing games against proper, well-known European names like Rapid Vienna, Feyenoord, Galatasary, Benfica feels like where we belong.

 

30 years ago I'd have jumped at the chance to join a British League, but things have changed since then in England, and (like the other "big" leagues) the EPL has become skewed and dominated by a few clubs that have rigged a clear run at UEFA's prize money every year. I can't see how we (or any of the also-ran Premier League teams) could permanently catch up with Man U, Chelsea, Man City etc. without entrusting the club's future to foreign money men. Having said that, I'd probably rather be in Everton or Aston Villa's shoes than in the SPFL forevermore.

 

My preferred day-dream solution would be to see us join an Atlantic League or equivalent where we can escape to play against other teams currently "trapped" in smaller national leagues. I could get excited about games against Porto, Anderlecht, Ajax and the like, without feeling the need to sell our soul in order to compete.

Not sure that is a go'er for the same reasons put up by the EPL opponents of the ESL, in that the fans of Ajax, Anderlecht etc, would want to play their local rivals such as Feynoord and PSV Einhoven or Brugge and not want to play Porto or Benfica instead. Being quite tribal fans love to play their rivals for the same city or north vs south and in the EFL the games between any of the Welsh clubs and English clubs have great atmosphere having once been to a Cardiff v Millwall game - and yes i did make it out with all limbs !!! 

[compo 7,034]

Let's hope St Johnstone and St Mirren aren't in this super league ?? super leagues my chooky

[alexscottislegend 2,320]

46 minutes ago, compo said:

Let's hope St Johnstone and St Mirren aren't in this super league ?? super leagues my chooky

Let's hope we don't get drawn against St. Joseph's!

[Thinker 887]

1 hour ago, ChelseaBoy said:

Not sure that is a go'er for the same reasons put up by the EPL opponents of the ESL, in that the fans of Ajax, Anderlecht etc, would want to play their local rivals such as Feynoord and PSV Einhoven or Brugge and not want to play Porto or Benfica instead. Being quite tribal fans love to play their rivals for the same city or north vs south and in the EFL the games between any of the Welsh clubs and English clubs have great atmosphere having once been to a Cardiff v Millwall game - and yes i did make it out with all limbs !!! 

I'm not sure it's a goer either, but not for that reason. There'd have to be more than one club from each nation and I'm sure Ajax, PSV, Feyenoord, Benfica, Sporting, Porto, us, them would all make the cut - so plenty of opportunity for the continution of old rivalries and derbies. I expect Ajax fans would miss playing PEC Zwolle about as much as we'd miss playing Motherwell (which is to say, a minority of traditionalists would miss it).

[Scott7 6,002]

Hibs, Hearts, Dundee were the teams that could compete with and indeed beat Rangers when I was a lad more so than celtic who were pretty average post-war. For the sake of the game, it’s a pity they weren’t able to keep it up past the 1960sI would miss playing against them and Aberdeen because in my sub-conscious, I still think they are big teams even when they are not.

 

Villa, Everton, Newcastle and Wolves would be more interesting. I’ll be in a minority with this but Porto, Brugge and the rest of the “Atlantic League” do not excite me at all, except Ajax.

 

Again I will be a minority but I don’t care if Rangers never play celtic again due to the ridiculous posturings and rancid behaviour of so many of their adherents whom the club itself seems unable to bring itself to eradicate..

[Bill 13,717]

1 hour ago, DMAA said:

In reality, most Rangers fans would rather a longer bus/train journey every other Saturday than not being able to attend at all, realistically. It is actually easier to get to Manchester than it is to get to Dingwall.

Not if you live in Thurso or Elgin or Inverness. 

[DMAA 3,658]

51 minutes ago, Scott7 said:

Hibs, Hearts, Dundee were the teams that could compete with and indeed beat Rangers when I was a lad more so than celtic who were pretty average post-war. For the sake of the game, it’s a pity they weren’t able to keep it up past the 1960sI

It’s all before my time, but I find it interesting that there was a period where old firm dominance was dented as late as the 80s. In 15 years, the top 2 was only Rangers and Celtic once. How did that happen? Because contrary to what many think, the record books show the old firm have always dominated, just not quite as much as they do today. Since 1890, the longest period without an old firm title winner is 3 years, which has happened twice. 

[JohnMc 2,750]

17 hours ago, DMAA said:

In reality, most Rangers fans would rather a longer bus/train journey every other Saturday than not being able to attend at all, realistically. It is actually easier to get to Manchester than it is to get to Dingwall.

From Ness? ?

 

I understand your point but in reality if we assume most Rangers supporters are living in Central Scotland, (simply because most people live there) then away trips to Motherwell, Hibs, St Mirren, Kilmarnock, Hamilton, Livingston, Celtic and St Johnstone are short journeys and even Ross County and Aberdeen are hardly treks. I'm not convinced we'd get much more of an away ticket allocation at EPL grounds either. Belgium, Holland and Denmark aren't much further away than London for most of us. 

 

While any Atlantic type league would involve international travel and make it probably prohibitively expensive for most people to attend regularly, I suspect many would take in a couple of away trips each season making a weekend of it. Most of the guys I know who go on European away trips seem to really enjoy them, I suspect they'd love an Atlantic League, although I'm not sure their wives would! 

[JohnMc 2,750]

15 hours ago, DMAA said:

It’s all before my time, but I find it interesting that there was a period where old firm dominance was dented as late as the 80s. In 15 years, the top 2 was only Rangers and Celtic once. How did that happen? Because contrary to what many think, the record books show the old firm have always dominated, just not quite as much as they do today. Since 1890, the longest period without an old firm title winner is 3 years, which has happened twice. 

Rangers were rebuilding Ibrox during the late 70s and early 80s, had Rangers been able to invest that money on players it might have been a very different time for us. Also home gate receipts were split 50/50 with the away side, an enormous benefit for every other side in the league, there was very little TV money and sponsorship and no one had thought of corporate hospitality yet. So while Rangers and Celtic were still the richest clubs the gap between us and everyone else was much smaller than now. Also the gap between salaries in Scotland and England was much smaller, the top sides in England were paying more but nothing like the difference we see now. Footballers contract's were very different too, there was no Bosman rule then, the club decided if you stayed or left, the player had far less say in it. This allowed clubs to keep good players for longer or cash in on them when they wanted. Lastly Aberdeen and Dundee Utd were managed by geniuses, something we can all hope never happens again!