If you were start from scratch tomorrow...

[AsimButtHitsASix]

...what would Scotland's domestic set up look like?

Every year I make a coupla Scottish league set ups on Football Manager. One encompassing the current teams and set up with a pyramid structure below but usually try and make one with a completely new set up. Delete all the clubs and competitions in Scotland and start totally afresh.

I try and make it a bit different from the usual league set ups in Europe so have done Apertura/Clausura seasons. Regional conferences with play offs. Made regional "super clubs" in the English league with all clubs in the Scottish league their official B-Teams... all sorts of pish.

Anyway looking for a few other ideas for this year but, in general, what would be the ideal set up for a new Scottish league system if you had a blank slate?

[Savage Henry]

Regionalised youth development tied into local colleges and universities, plus a draft system for youth players would be the very first thing I'd do.

Off the pitch, I'd try and market every game as a one-off event, award catering to a central franchise, and drastically improve the match day experience.

[Melanius Mullarkey]

1 hour ago, Savage Henry said:

Regionalised youth development tied into local colleges and universities, plus a draft system for youth players would be the very first thing I'd do.

Off the pitch, I'd try and market every game as a one-off event, award catering to a central franchise, and drastically improve the match day experience.

.

[AsimButtHitsASix]

I've always liked the idea of youth development being in the hands of the SFA, or some centralised thing, and then players, at the age of 16, get drafted off to clubs.

[ahemps]

Summer football 

Less teams  - around 12 top clubs divided evenly into populated areas, ie 1 from Fife, 1  Ayrshire , 2 Lanarkshire, 2 from  Edinburgh, 3/4 from Greater Glasgow etc..... Try and distribute it that each team can reasonably expect around 20k at a game. Imagine every stadium in Scotland to be like Easter Road and Tynecastle every week instead of 60K at Celtic park and 2k at Livingston. 

Safe standing 

No prize money and all TV money distributed evenly. Giving the most successful teams more money is totally counter productive to competition.

Improve matchday experience, better food, stadiums, facilities

1 transfer window to be complete before the season starts

Loan system scrapped or at least limiting it (3 under 21's and 1 over 21yrs old)

SFA/SPL to be made up of independent personnel who's sole goal is to grow the game/league. If they are not doing this they should be moved on.

I'd love a draft system but I think it would be too difficult to apply in football.

[Ross.]

1 hour ago, AsimButtHitsASix said:

I've always liked the idea of youth development being in the hands of the SFA, or some centralised thing, and then players, at the age of 16, get drafted off to clubs.

I don't see how such a set up could work in Europe. The US is about the only place in the world who do things this way and that is because the drafts system and franchise set up are pretty much ingrained in their version of every sport going.

Personally I would rather enforce a squad cap, 22 players over the age of 21 allowed to be registered, then no limit on this who fall under that age group. Beyond that, the pyramid structure is being worked towards already so I would leave that to develop. I would perhaps switch to 3 leagues of 14 for the senior game, with a split at each level after the 26th game, into a top 6 and a bottom 8. It would mean the bottom half playing more games than the top half but that would go some way towards compensating for the fact that those games should theoretically see lower crowds. I'd also favour a switch to 2 up, 2 down and the 3rd top/bottom sides playing in a play off.

[GordonD]

No Old Firm

[Northboy]

5 hours ago, Ross. said:

I don't see how such a set up could work in Europe. The US is about the only place in the world who do things this way and that is because the drafts system and franchise set up are pretty much ingrained in their version of every sport going.

I completely agree. The draft system is particularly suited to US sport where the education system provides the development route. Also NFL, NBA etc captures the market in terms of talent while a budding young footballer here would have options in Scotland, England or even further afield.

[tamthebam]

7 hours ago, GordonD said:

No Old Firm

I'd merge them. For a laugh like. 

[Hampden Diehard]

Regionalised youth development tied into local colleges and universities, plus a draft system for youth players would be the very first thing I'd do.
Off the pitch, I'd try and market every game as a one-off event, award catering to a central franchise, and drastically improve the match day experience.

If the catering franchise went to the women who do it at Stenhousemuir, that sounds great. But it would go to Sodexho who charge £2.90 for soggy cardboard pies at Hampden.

Generally, though, thinking that Scotland's game can be somehow improved by regional teams and loads of American ideas is pish.

Getting players to be able to pass a ball ten yards to one of their own team is probably the best innovation you could make.

[DA Baracus]

All the cliches (summer football, regional leagues etc)

[effeffsee_the2nd]

2 hours ago, Hampden Diehard said:

If the catering franchise went to the women who do it at Stenhousemuir, that sounds great. But it would go to Sodexho who charge £2.90 for soggy cardboard pies at Hampden.

Generally, though, thinking that Scotland's game can be somehow improved by regional teams and loads of American ideas is pish.

Getting players to be able to pass a ball ten yards to one of their own team is probably the best innovation you could make.

This, I'm all for fucking about with formats & so on , but nothings going to get better whilst your asking folk to cough up cash to watch players who should be playing on a public park. so few of them seem to have any impressive skills now, no one can trap a ball or use quick feet. its murder , can anyone in the know explain why our players are so less skillfull than other parts of Europe?

Edited September 12, 2018 by effeffsee_the2nd

[AsimButtHitsASix]

On ‎10‎/‎09‎/‎2018 at 14:53, Ross. said:

I don't see how such a set up could work in Europe. The US is about the only place in the world who do things this way and that is because the drafts system and franchise set up are pretty much ingrained in their version of every sport going.

Yeah but, starting from scratch, a franchise system could be employed.

[k-ton]

On 9/10/2018 at 15:19, GordonD said:

No Old Firm

There is..

Edited September 14, 2018 by k-ton

[GroundHoppingBear]

Far less clubs involved in a proper pyramid structure would be the best set up.

That stupid rule where you needed a certain capacity before being allowed in the top flight would never of happened and local clubs wont be playing infront of empty stadiums that are three times the size they need to be.

[Broomhill Ultra]

Anybody suggested London Scottish yet?

[AsimButtHitsASix]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Caledonians_F.C

[Officer Barbrady]

Starting from scratch would be a tall order, given that a severe portion of clubs with genuine potential have been saddled with self-inflicted debts, and legacies of that debt in many cases are still determining the clubs' current financial therefore competitive position, and the current league format doesn't exactly welcome bold new ideas at best, and has left an ingrained outlook regarding many clubs prospects of success at worst. 

 

That said....

Previously a staunch 3x14, i now see that format as a continuation of the failed order that might not be wholly responsible for lack of decent players, as it certainly is a competitive enough environment, but it is now beyond any reasonable marketing strategy, whoever is conducting it. The problem that exists is, what exactly is being competed for? Whatever that answer is, it isn't manifesting itself in great numbers watching or supporting it, and those 'competing' in it being beset by their own self-interest (players, coaches, club reps etc naturally consider themselves 'the best available', under the conditions laid out in para1). Its a toxic mess, frankly. 

 

I'd overhaul the current structure, completely. 

 

I'd permit the awarding of 22 fully-professional club licences to be given out, per year.  There would be one division, with two sub-divisions (or 'conferences' but that's a shite word) therein. 

 

The 22 clubs would be split 11-11 on an even, West-East basis. Each team would play its own sub-division clubs home and away (20 games) and the other sub-division teams once, with the exception of the team who finished in the same spot in the opposing sub-division  the previous season, who all clubs would play a return fixture against eg 1v1, 2v2, 10v10.......you get it. Ideally those matches would kick off the 'next' season. 32 games, with a greater edge towards open competition raising interest and revenue rather than a fear-driven closed door policy directing (often bad) business decisions. Clubs hopefully learning to live in their means.

 

An obvious omission for some in the East would be one home match against the OF, but offset from a sporting perspective that there's also one less visit to them as well, unless finshing in (likely) positions 1 or 2. The fact remains, games among the big teams are ultimately what sell the product. Everyone still faces 31 common opponents with their divisional rivals, so i don't see why one extra match would make a difference. Some clubs already operate with one less home game a season than they should. 

 

Bonus points handed out for four goals scored, and a further 0.5 of a point each goal thereafter. January break for three weeks, and the regular season should be done by the end of April. The top four advance to two-legged playoffs, (with a slight bias towards 1st and 2nd placed teams for finishing high) and none of which be decided by ET or pens if finishing level, but the results in the season until then. 

 

Bottom two enter into relegation playoffs along with the 2nd and 3rd finishers in the downstairs National League, containing the remaining 20 SPFL clubs likewise split on a NE/SW basis. 

Edited January 18, 2019 by Officer Barbrady

[effeffsee_the2nd]

If you were starting from scratch then you would have no more than say 20 professional teams and have them divvyd up by population catchment areas,  only Glasgow gets 2 clubs, other cities one each and other areas have catchments. 

If all 4 angus clubs got behind angus utd then they could sustain full time football.

if Falkirk stenny shire stirling and alloa all merged to form the forth valley kelpies they could have the same support as Dundee utd

if inverness and county merged to form the highland coo's they could have the same fan backing as Dundee

if the Dundee clubs merged they could have the same support as Aberdeen

If hearts and hibs merged they could be big enough to compete with the old firm every season

If all those clubs we're real entities then less fans from outside Glasgow would support the old firm as their local team would be better

if yer auntie had baws...    it's just pie in the sky because it only works if the fans get behind it and they won't . football is too conservative for that kind of wholesale change

 

[effeffsee_the2nd]

Also. Can we have full on american names for these franchise teams ?
The Lanarkshire stealers ?