The SPL

Just about to kick off on SS2, Celtic v Aberdeen, and yet I just can't help thinking, is there any point?

It'll just be a procession for Celtic over the next few years, I honestly think that it's all over for Scottish football in its present form.

Been dead for a few years really. Ranger's and Celtic's policy of sapping every available resource and making sure no one could ever challenge either of them has really back fired.

Who'd have though that

Been dead for a few years really. Ranger's and Celtic's policy of sapping every available resource and making sure no one could ever challenge either of them has really back fired.

Who'd have though that

True, just really hit home today with the so called "league" starting

A pointless waste of time.

Sky and ESPN also to show Rangers games. Why?

What can they do to change it though?

Just about to kick off on SS2, Celtic v Aberdeen, and yet I just can't help thinking, is there any point?

It'll just be a procession for Celtic over the next few years, I honestly think that it's all over for Scottish football in its present form.

They are presenting the trophy to Celtic on Sunday. Bus tour of city planned for Monday. Dont know why it gets so much publicity down here.

If they were going to show another league would rather watch more German football to be honest. Already good coverage of spannish. The days of Goal Laziiooo in the 90's put me off watching italian football . Some truely awful games.

Gavin Rae playing for Aberdeen.

What can they do to change it though?

-Play-offs
-A Neutral Scottish Youth System that builds up many young players that Celtic and Rangers pay the lions share off take the best but there is still a healthy crop of youngsters being developed.
-Play two of the old firm derbies in other countries to build up interest.
-Merge the Scottish League Cup and the Scottish Cup into one competition to make it worth winning a little more.

What can they do to change it though?

-Play-offs
-A Neutral Scottish Youth System that builds up many young players that Celtic and Rangers pay the lions share off take the best but there is still a healthy crop of youngsters being developed.
-Play two of the old firm derbies in other countries to build up interest.
-Merge the Scottish League Cup and the Scottish Cup into one competition to make it worth winning a little more.

The American college system is one that would work well in the SPL. Although it would take generations and millions.

So your idea of a neutral Youth System is one that can be changed to work like the College system.

The players of age (18?) are put into a draft at the beginning of every season the worst team in the league (The promoted team) gets the first pick (and so the best young player) and the draft snakes up the league in reverse order meaning that the champions of the season before get the last pick of the round and it snakes back down in the same style. It would ensure some balance of fairness with regard teams being able to pick up good players and not just Celtic/Rangers getting them all.

I'm sure Celtic are not fussed.

Massive club with massive support & revenue. Will get Champions league money every year & happily stockpile the trophys.

Not their fault Rangers resorted to cheating & bad management.

All the talk of the SPL would die without Rangers has proved to be a crock o shite. Sky have backed the Scottish leagues again & rightly so.

What can they do to change it though?

-Play-offs
-A Neutral Scottish Youth System that builds up many young players that Celtic and Rangers pay the lions share off take the best but there is still a healthy crop of youngsters being developed.
-Play two of the old firm derbies in other countries to build up interest.
-Merge the Scottish League Cup and the Scottish Cup into one competition to make it worth winning a little more.

The American college system is one that would work well in the SPL. Although it would take generations and millions.

So your idea of a neutral Youth System is one that can be changed to work like the College system.

The players of age (18?) are put into a draft at the beginning of every season the worst team in the league (The promoted team) gets the first pick (and so the best young player) and the draft snakes up the league in reverse order meaning that the champions of the season before get the last pick of the round and it snakes back down in the same style. It would ensure some balance of fairness with regard teams being able to pick up good players and not just Celtic/Rangers getting them all.

A few good ideas in there, this guy was brought in by the SFA last year to try and revamp the Scottish game,

http://www.heraldscotland.com/mobile/sp ... f42efe44ce

There was a big fuss made of it when he got the job but I haven't heard much since.

I'm sure Celtic are not fussed.

Massive club with massive support & revenue. Will get Champions league money every year & happily stockpile the trophys.

Not their fault Rangers resorted to cheating & bad management.

All the talk of the SPL would die without Rangers has proved to be a crock o shite. Sky have backed the Scottish leagues again & rightly so.

I'll reserve judgement on the SPL dying without Rangers until later in the season. I can see a big drop in attendances and interest when Celtic are 30 points clear by christmas.

I'm sure Celtic are not fussed.

Massive club with massive support & revenue. Will get Champions league money every year & happily stockpile the trophys.

Not their fault Rangers resorted to cheating & bad management.

All the talk of the SPL would die without Rangers has proved to be a crock o shite. Sky have backed the Scottish leagues again & rightly so.

How much Champion's League money are they likely to get. They are 2-1 up against Helsinki and still have an away leg to go then a play-off round and I can't see them making the group stages.

Then it's the Europa League They could make the group stages but that's far less money.

And that's this season. If Rangers get promoted this year it's still another 2 years until they are back in the SPL are any quality players likely to go to Celtic if they won the league in December?

Never mind the overall interest (that wasn't that great anyway) diminishing.

f**k the old firm. Long term Celtic will struggle without Rangers. Plenty Celtic fans dressed up as green seats today. Rangers debt free and recovering over the next few years. They'll come back bigger and stringer and Celtic will still be toiling to make an impact in Europe. Everybody has a pop at Scottish Football at the top level and rightly so but few can see that the Old Firm are the problem and the biggest embarrasment. Sky & ESPN are still putting money in while most clubs season ticket sales are up. Upto the clubs to force a new future while they have the chance.

Anyone watching the game on SKY? Aberdeen have been poor yet the Celtic superstars are struggling to do anything.

From an outsiders point of view I like to watch football. I don't care what level its at I just like football so watching the SPL to me is as good as watching the EPL, ok you obviously don't see the same quality of superstars etc but thats not why I watch the game anyway & I'm sure many others feel the same.

From what I have read / heard & seen the Rangers fans seemed to have a very big aura of self importance & an attitude that the whole of Scottish football needs them, not true.

Celtic have sold 42,000 season tickets & their is near on 50,000 at todays game according to press reports. Hardly poor?

f**k the old firm. Long term Celtic will struggle without Rangers. Plenty Celtic fans dressed up as green seats today. Rangers debt free and recovering over the next few years. They'll come back bigger and stringer and Celtic will still be toiling to make an impact in Europe. Everybody has a pop at Scottish Football at the top level and rightly so but few can see that the Old Firm are the problem and the biggest embarrasment. Sky & ESPN are still putting money in while most clubs season ticket sales are up. Upto the clubs to force a new future while they have the chance.

Anyone watching the game on SKY? Aberdeen have been poor yet the Celtic superstars are struggling to do anything.

I'm watching it now, very poor. I was up in Edinburgh a few months back and Hearts were playing Kilmarnock so I thought I'd go along and watch the match. For the first time in my life I left a game at half time it was that bad.

Funnily enough, I popped into the Tynecastle Arms and there were quite a few season ticket holders having a pint instead of going to the game, most of them had the same story, they buy their season tickets so they can have a Saturday afternoon in the pub away from the wife and kids

From an outsiders point of view I like to watch football. I don't care what level its at I just like football so watching the SPL to me is as good as watching the EPL, ok you obviously don't see the same quality of superstars etc but thats not why I watch the game anyway & I'm sure many others feel the same.

From what I have read / heard & seen the Rangers fans seemed to have a very big aura of self importance & an attitude that the whole of Scottish football needs them, not true.

Celtic have sold 42,000 season tickets & their is near on 50,000 at todays game according to press reports. Hardly poor?

Doesn't take long for these things to turn. I hope it doesn't and I hope they instigate a lot of changes to help Scottish football. But if they continue the way they are now I can't see it. Not dead, but still on the downward slope.

From an outsiders point of view I like to watch football. I don't care what level its at I just like football so watching the SPL to me is as good as watching the EPL, ok you obviously don't see the same quality of superstars etc but thats not why I watch the game anyway & I'm sure many others feel the same.

From what I have read / heard & seen the Rangers fans seemed to have a very big aura of self importance & an attitude that the whole of Scottish football needs them, not true.

Celtic have sold 42,000 season tickets & their is near on 50,000 at todays game according to press reports. Hardly poor?

Celtic used to churn out 60,000 every week with a waiting list of 30,000, now they have empty seats. Claim to be greatest fans in the world so where are they when their club needs them? Not interested cos there in no Rangers. Not so "faithful through and through" after all.

Smells of sour grapes that to be honest ptb.

Times are hard in all walks of life regardless of people"s love & loyalty to their team.

Of course you will get many that were there for the old firm games that's obvious but they will average near on 50,000 a week at home this season hardly a mass exodus.

Rangers thought all would crumble without them when actually clubs season tickets sales are up.

Celtic are a well run club & will do just fine without them.

i dont think the spl is pointless this season. celtic will run away with it thats a given but the race for 2nd will be pretty exciting. you get some dire games but thats the same in any league. ive seen some cracking games in the spl dundee utd, killie, hearts all capable of playing decent footy.

cant stand rangers though. or celtic but rangers are the worst, the most big headed arrogant fans ever. i work with loads of them and their all the same, adamant scottish football wont survive without them which is turning out to be a load of crap.

Smells of sour grapes that to be honest ptb.

Times are hard in all walks of life regardless of people"s love & loyalty to their team.

Of course you will get many that were there for the old firm games that's obvious but they will average near on 50,000 a week at home this season hardly a mass exodus.

Rangers thought all would crumble without them when actually clubs season tickets sales are up.

Celtic are a well run club & will do just fine without them.

Not as well run as people think Stan, but obviously not as badly others!

Puzzled by the sour grapes remark? My club don't play in Senior leagues up here and while I miss being in them it's probably not such a bad thing just now. While I agree times are hard and tickets are overpriced, losing over 40,000 customers is a bit extreme don't you think - especially with everyone else selling more ST's?

Will be interesting to see how many season tickets Rangers shift, just read today is the deadline.