Is the SPFL getting better?

[54_and_counting]

2 hours ago, realmadrid said:

That would be horrendous. 

By Christmas so many teams would have nothing to play for.

The difference between the top league and the league below would be vast. 

In May you could be playing Celtic in front of 55,000 and the next game be at Brechin with 500. 

Everyone at the second level would need to be part time.

This by a mile, people clamouring for a top league of 18 or 20 need to look at attendances of most teams who have f**k all to play for come march/april, then imagine they attendances in the run up to xmas

Dont get me wrong, playing the same team 4 times a season is bollocks as well, but Scotland doesnt have the tv money to supplement the loss of fans when games become meaningless when teams become too good to go down but too shite to push for european spots 

Killie for example pulled in less than 5k fans for their game against hamilton at the end of march, imagine how low that would be if both teams were mid table in january and safe from relegation 

[Meeniedee]

Just now, BoydiesBelly said:

I honestly didn't think that. I thought Killie were shite, and we were. But I've enjoyed the game up here for many a year and wouldn't give the EPL the time of day.

I agree with you regarding the EPL overhyped pish....don't get me wrong I still enjoy dragging my erse upto dens in the vain hope of some entertainment unfortunately 99.99% of the time I leave bored out of my tits the 0-0 we had with livi I think there was a passback on target the whole game ...it was dire from both teams ….and don't get me started on the price of entry 

 

[Meeniedee]

1 minute ago, 54_and_counting said:

This by a mile, people clamouring for a top league of 18 or 20 need to look at attendances of most teams who have f**k all to play for

i'd keep the split but instead of top 6 bottom 6 id have the top 8 waltzing off into the distance while the bottom 4 go into a league with the top 4 of the championship..top 4 of that league come up.and if that ever gets voted in im running for 1st minister 

[Crawford]

8 minutes ago, Meeniedee said:

i'd keep the split but instead of top 6 bottom 6 id have the top 8 waltzing off into the distance while the bottom 4 go into a league with the top 4 of the championship..top 4 of that league come up.and if that ever gets voted in im running for 1st minister 

That actually sounds brilliant.

[JamieThomas]

I'm no saying I'm dead keen on a 20 team league, but if it did go that way it's worth pointing out that Sky can make Everton v Bournemouth sound like it's Real v Atletico. If it did happen, you'd have to hope those whining "BUT IT'D BE SHITE EH" wouldn't be in charge of the marketing.

[GAD]

I think it's been pretty good since we came up again. Obviously saints have been pretty shite, but I've really enjoyed being in the Premiership again and I think the standard has been fine. Pretty much every team bar the bottom three has 2 or 3 really decent players and I've been surprised at how big the travelling crowds have been from almost every team. I think it's been great and I certainly haven't been bored. Disappointed with results, yes, but not bored. I hope we stay up.

[DA Baracus]

1 hour ago, Meeniedee said:

imo the standard is getting worse every season...teams look on 6th as a great season...10 of the 12 teams will never get near winning it....most of that 10 can easily go down...crap football due to fear of being relegated and the carnage that follows relegation...to cut a long story short its shit.

You seem to be making out that that's a recent thing and hasn't been the case since the early 90s.

[realmadrid]

3 hours ago, wastecoatwilly said:

More dosh for the teams at the bottom of the top tier.

No problem with part time teams in the top tier if they get promotion.

Where is this extra cash coming from , you will be dividing the cash 20 ways instead of 12

How much benefit would Celtic get for say playing part time Arbroath 3 days before playing Ajax in the champions league. 

[Salvo Montalbano]

Where is this extra cash coming from , you will be dividing the cash 20 ways instead of 12
How much benefit would Celtic get for say playing part time Arbroath 3 days before playing Ajax in the champions league. 

Arbroath wouldn't likely be one of the top 18 clubs though - if the current SPFL Premiership was supplemented by Ross County, Dundee Utd, Ayr, Inverness and Dunfermline there would still be reasonable enough teams in the top flight, with the likes of Falkirk, Morton, Partick Thistle, Raith Rovers and Airdrie teams who would be looking to get into the top flight and could well establish themselves at the expense of say Hamilton or St Mirren. You could also have within a few years of any large scale re-organisation the top former Junior clubs wanting to break into the second tier and even push towards the Premiership. And even if Celtic were to play Arbroath 3 days before Ajax, I'm sure they'd be happy in the knowledge they could rest their entire first team to give their European XI plenty of time to prepare for the game. (Of course, Juventus did pretty much that against SPAL and lost while Ajax played most of their first team in the domestic game v Excelsior and it didn't do the Old Lady any good but that was the exception I'd suggest)

[realmadrid]

He was talking about a top league of 20. Arbroath will finish this season as Scotland's 23rd best team. With 20 teams I'd expect 3 up 3 down  there is a good chance Arbroath could be part of that set up.

18 teams only gives 34 games which will cause financial issues. 

[Salvo Montalbano]

He was talking about a top league of 20. Arbroath will finish this season as Scotland's 23rd best team. With 20 teams I'd expect 3 up 3 down  there is a good chance Arbroath could be part of that set up.
18 teams only gives 34 games which will cause financial issues. 

Firstly, Arbroath may well get into a Premiership and then they'd have deserved it. What do their fans care if it inconveniences Celtic or not? The typical arrogance of an Old Firm fan. Would those games be any more one sided as Man City v Huddersfield?

Secondly, is that certain? Fewer midweek games, which have lower attendances and reduced hospitality takings. Fans more likely to go to away games since there is only one match per season at each away venue. Only 2 games fewer for current Championship and below clubs and 4 games fewer for current Premiership clubs but eliminates uneven home/away splits. Play-offs could add extra games at the bottom and for potential European spaces (especially if Scotland gets more slots if/when the dreadfully named Europa League 2 starts). If such a big change were to happen, we'd clearly have to look at things like that but even if it meant 34 games only in the league, there would be less player burn out which would be better for teams in Europe and International players, and if there is a big mid table where there are a few meaningless games then perhaps a few young players might get their chance in the first team earlier? There are arguments on both sides but to dismiss it out of hand makes no sense.

[Lebowski]

Firstly, Arbroath may well get into a Premiership and then they'd have deserved it. What do their fans care if it inconveniences Celtic or not? The typical arrogance of an Old Firm fan. Would those games be any more one sided as Man City v Huddersfield?

Secondly, is that certain? Fewer midweek games, which have lower attendances and reduced hospitality takings. Fans more likely to go to away games since there is only one match per season at each away venue. Only 2 games fewer for current Championship and below clubs and 4 games fewer for current Premiership clubs but eliminates uneven home/away splits. Play-offs could add extra games at the bottom and for potential European spaces (especially if Scotland gets more slots if/when the dreadfully named Europa League 2 starts). If such a big change were to happen, we'd clearly have to look at things like that but even if it meant 34 games only in the league, there would be less player burn out which would be better for teams in Europe and International players, and if there is a big mid table where there are a few meaningless games then perhaps a few young players might get their chance in the first team earlier? There are arguments on both sides but to dismiss it out of hand makes no sense.

You could make up the difference in the fixtures by making the league cup stages home and away with home clubs keeping the gate money. That gives everyone 20 guaranteed home games.

[Illgresi]

Hard to be positive given how honking Aberdeen have been this season. That said, off the park we're a hell of a lot healthier than we've been since pre-Dick Donald Stand. A lot of teams are the same, with very few still in debt. Overall, I think the league is probably in the black. Sevco's financial ridiculousness is probably cancelled out by Celtic's wealth, and there's a good few other clubs being run well.

In terms of quality, we're certainly improving in youth development. Too many clubs still playing hoofball (Aberdeen being one of them this season). Too many lower English league journeymen still here, and player retention is consistently a massive problem. Overall, in the grand scheme, aye probably progressing.

That said there's a hard ceiling that we'll never surpass with the old boys club running the game.