Ajja Posted January 1, 2009 Report Posted January 1, 2009 Thing is this sub standard coverage would be even worse if old firm were in a Euro league. There would be even more more coverage of tims/huns v Ajax or Feyenord and even less coverage of our league. Less media interest would mean less interest from sponsors so less money again. Clubs are struggling to survive as it is so any further cut in income would probably mean the end of full time football in Scotland and if the league was to go semi pro then even the half decent players would then be off down to England so standard would drop further. While I agree this is a possibility its not necessarily the case that this would happen automatically. There are other forces that operate in the Scottish game beyond Glasgow. Its also possible that you would have a media which became less interested in the OF competing with fairly pedestrian European sides in a pretty one dimensional league set up. This might actually lead to more focus, interest and resource being put on the more cut throat SPL that would emerge. For fans, following the OF would become very expensive and being a fan of either would provide very little in the way of connectivity with the rest of the Scottish footballing public. Despite what they say, OF fans love being top dogs in Scotland and their fans love the bragging rights, however 'uncompetitive' our game is. This might lead to less youngsters showing interest in teams who they can't quite connect with and choosing to support a local team in a league where honours could be won. It may be a little naive to think so but I don't think our game would die in the way you suggest. Quote
BobbyBiscuit Posted January 1, 2009 Report Posted January 1, 2009 Extremely naive - the next round of cash for rights will be a pittance - so looks like we are doomed anyway! Would you care to point out where I've been "extremely naive"? Thing is tho, the ones that are saying that our league isnt cometitve are the ones that are actually creating the myth that Scottish football is an inferior product. Until the press in this country get a grip and start covering the rest of the league in a more positive light, our game will always be viewed as falsley inferior. It is an inferior product though. I don't think there are any grounds to argue otherwise. There's nothing wrong in saying it's an inferior product, but the "entertainment value" of the SPL is pretty low in comparison to other leagues. It's possibly not as bad as some make out, but it's certainly not great. Quote
Andrew Posted January 1, 2009 Report Posted January 1, 2009 Would you care to point out where I've been "extremely naive"? It is an inferior product though. I don't think there are any grounds to argue otherwise. There's nothing wrong in saying it's an inferior product, but the "entertainment value" of the SPL is pretty low in comparison to other leagues. It's possibly not as bad as some make out, but it's certainly not great. Every league has two or three big clubs and the SPL is no different or worse. Quote
Huck the Funs Posted January 2, 2009 Report Posted January 2, 2009 Every league has two or three big clubs and the SPL is no different or worse. compared to what? you can argue that we are the third best team in the league and we've got players that can't even trap a ball, we've got players that can't even pass a ball to there own team mates even when they're not pressured by opposition players. until we got aluko we had no players with enough confidence in their own ability to run with the ball and take on a man and beat him. every league maybe has two or three big clubs but a crooked russian or a misguided sheik can change which clubs that two or three are. since we last won the league the norwegian league has been won by 6 different sides, swedish league by 8 different sides, finnish league by 8 different sides, danish league by 6 different sides, swiss league by 11 different sides, i would say these were comparable leagues. the english and italian leagues have been won by 7 different sides and the german and spanish by 5 different sides. Quote
Huck the Funs Posted January 2, 2009 Report Posted January 2, 2009 Despite what they say, OF fans love being top dogs in Scotland and their fans love the bragging rights, however 'uncompetitive' our game is. This might lead to less youngsters showing interest in teams who they can't quite connect with and choosing to support a local team in a league where honours could be won. the atlantic league wouldn't be geared towards rangers and celtic like the spl is, with celtic and rangers not getting any favours and maybe a couple of seasons in the middle to lower halves of the league, not qualifying for the proper european competitions [reason for a 2nd team playing in the spl?] they more than likely would lose the fans that watch them in a bar in turriff, or rather the landlord of the bar will, but i doubt if they'd go along and watch their local team as they obviously have no connection to them in the first place. Quote
Huck the Funs Posted January 2, 2009 Report Posted January 2, 2009 Scottish sponsors would still want to sponsor the scottish product. They might not pay quite the same, but they would still support it. was the scottish cup struggling to get a sponsor this year? the amount they pay could affect the amount teams could pay their players meaning the best may go to lower english leagues Combined with a far more competitive league just about every team in the league having a shout for the title we could join the highland league and be in with a shout for the title crowds would go up - and with crowds follows media interest. not a chance, media interest would focus on the teams that sell papers or get viewers to pay subscriptions, rangers and celtic I think the infirm would be cap in hand to the SPL a few years after their quaint little league went tits up. that is a very realistic possibility Then we would be in a position to veto all this old firm bias in the power structure. we could actually be in that position now if all the teams stuck together Quote
BobbyBiscuit Posted January 2, 2009 Report Posted January 2, 2009 Every league has two or three big clubs and the SPL is no different or worse. Very correct in that every league has a few big clubs, but if you think that the SPL is no different or worse to La Liga, Serie A, Budesliga or the EPL then you're tripping out your eyeball. Of course it would be right to point out that these are huge leagues with much more money, but as my point was about the standard of football and entertainment value being less in the SPL than other leagues it stands. 25 years ago we were beating the best these leagues had to offer, there is no chance of us doing that now. Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.