Scotland's League One and Two could be off until JANUARY

[Shadwell Dog]

1 minute ago, cmontheloknow said:

But you can't say 'will be half and half at least'.

It might be. It might not. I won't win the lottery next weekend so I won't go and put a deposit down on an Aston either. Clubs have to go with a realistic outlook rather than wishful thinking.

All you can do is aim to do something based on the govt plans for coming out of lockdown. That may change either way. We cant just sit and do nothing though till next june.

[cmontheloknow]

1 minute ago, Shadwell Dog said:

All you can do is aim to do something based on the govt plans for coming out of lockdown. That may change either way. We cant just sit and do nothing though till next june.

As a Falkirk fan I can see your predicament but your outlook will be very different to that of Albion Rovers, or Elgin, or even drop into the lower reaches of the pyramid, ourselves or the Shire.

The SFA have put this out today:

https://www.scottishfa.co.uk/news/scottish-fa-approves-conditional-lifting-of-suspension/?rid=14258

The suspension of football will be lifted to enable training from June 11, specifically for SPFL Premiership first-team squads only.

Any other competitions wishing to return to training must be able to confirm their ability to meet the testing regime and other safeguarding measures agreed between the Scottish FA and the Scottish Government.

The suspension remains in place for those competitions that cannot meet such criteria and will be reviewed on an ongoing basis.

[TxRover]

11 hours ago, Bairn in Exile said:

Fuxxake Texas Tom, you've been in America waaaaaay too long!

What next, having a defensive 11 and an attacking 11?

Whata loada shite!

Nah, you’re overthinking it. Imagine the second level of 16 teams, split geographically. You play the “nearby” teams 4 times and the other 8 far away teams once, half home and half away (or, if you have to have home/away versus the other division, you play theee versus your division). Yea, you don’t see the stately edifices of half the other division sides that season, but surely (mostly) shorter road trips will have positive results for attendance, and if they are bringing more to the game at your palace, you can be pretty sure you take more to their palace.

Taking the current teams, we might see:

East Div - Arbroath, Dundee, Dunfermline, East Fife, Falkirk, Montrose, Peterhead and  Raith

West Div - Airdrie, Alloa, Ayr, Clyde, Dumbarton, Greenock, Partick and QoS

I would suggest attendance would be higher. The choice of the teams to split between the two doesn’t have to be exact, so we could flip perhaps Dundee and Alloa or Falkirk and Airdrie easily enough, there would need to be a mechanism for allowing the teams input into the realignment possibly necessary each year, as promotion and relegation might be unevenly divided between the divisions.

Just saying, the choice isn’t a binary one, and there are lots of ways to slice this pie. It’s clear that 10 team leagues aren’t going to get TV coverage...add more “interesting games” (think playoffs), and perhaps the TV revenue goes up.

[Scottydog]

Terrible idea!

As ideas go It's got more holes in it than a sieve!

Back to the drawing board!

[parsforlife]

Americanised pish.

[O'Kelly Isley III]

13 hours ago, TxRover said:

Different strokes for different folks. How about a 8+8 Championship with two divisions in the League. Play 28 games vs division (4 each) and 8 versus the other division. Then the two #1’s play for the automatic promotion spot, the loser entering the playoff. Playoffs are two games 2A vs 3B, 2B vs 3A, then the winners face the losing #1 and the second bottom Premiership side in another two game, then the winners play one game at a neutral venue for the final spot in the Premiership.

Relegation would be 8A vs 8B, two game, then the winner enters a conventional playoff versus 2-4 from below while the loser is relegated.

Funny, I've been saying this very thing for weeks.

[TxRover]

3 hours ago, Scottydog said:

Terrible idea!

As ideas go It's got more holes in it than a sieve!

Back to the drawing board!

 

3 hours ago, parsforlife said:

Americanised pish.

Don’t disagree about that...I don’t mind 10, but the discussion is often about getting more money for fitba from TV or such, and the Americans have that shit down pat. Playoffs, games of import, messing with the schedule and design to appeal to TV.

[rockson]

4 hours ago, TxRover said:

 

Taking the current teams, we might see:

East Div - Arbroath, Dundee, Dunfermline, East Fife, Falkirk, Montrose, Peterhead and  Raith

West Div - Airdrie, Alloa, Ayr, Clyde, Dumbarton, Greenock, Partick and QoS

 

I was born and brought up in Dumbarton but live in Fife so don't get to many home games. This arrangement would lead to me seeing Sons at only three away grounds due to the travelling involved, rather than six in the other group.

[TxRover]

18 minutes ago, rockson said:

I was born and brought up in Dumbarton but live in Fife so don't get to many home games. This arrangement would lead to me seeing Sons at only three away grounds due to the travelling involved, rather than six in the other group.

And that’s the problem with any division of the Leagues. But the suggestion has been made that the game must be made more attractive to TV. The choice is pretty simply, tart it up or live within the threadbare means that fit a has done so far.

The current format in the Premiership causes similar issues with games played/not played after the division. How they square an odd number of games head to head with half the league and the desire for fairness is mind bending.

Maybe the 14 team Premiership plan is designed to increase OF games? Play a home/away and then divide after 26 games, then top six could play three more times, for five in a season (41 games). The bottom eight could play just 2 (40 games). Of course, that would mean the loss of an occasional home against the OF for the rest of the league.

[EdinburghBlue]

Don’t disagree about that...I don’t mind 10, but the discussion is often about getting more money for fitba from TV or such, and the Americans have that shit down pat. Playoffs, games of import, messing with the schedule and design to appeal to TV.

... and revenue sharing and other arrangements such as player drafts which ensure genuine competition rather than one team dominating because it has the biggest budget.

[RandomGuy.]

10 hours ago, TxRover said:

And that’s the problem with any division of the Leagues. But the suggestion has been made that the game must be made more attractive to TV. The choice is pretty simply, tart it up or live within the threadbare means that fit a has done so far.

The current format in the Premiership causes similar issues with games played/not played after the division. How they square an odd number of games head to head with half the league and the desire for fairness is mind bending.

Maybe the 14 team Premiership plan is designed to increase OF games? Play a home/away and then divide after 26 games, then top six could play three more times, for five in a season (41 games). The bottom eight could play just 2 (40 games). Of course, that would mean the loss of an occasional home against the OF for the rest of the league.

The top flight struggled to fit in 38 games this season (Rangers v St Johnstone, due to be played in October but rescheduled due to a Europa League tie, still hadnt been rescheduled, and was expected to be played after the split.

Theres no way the top flight can have a larger season if the Winter Break remains in place, and that seems an widely supported thing.

I'm not sure what TV company people are expecting to pump money in to watch the Scottish second tier aswell, sadly.

[Sergeant Wilson]

1 hour ago, RandomGuy. said:

The top flight struggled to fit in 38 games this season (Rangers v St Johnstone, due to be played in October but rescheduled due to a Europa League tie, still hadnt been rescheduled, and was expected to be played after the split.

Theres no way the top flight can have a larger season if the Winter Break remains in place, and that seems an widely supported thing.

I'm not sure what TV company people are expecting to pump money in to watch the Scottish second tier aswell, sadly.

@TxRoverseems like decent guy but his league restructure ideas have never had any basis in reality.

[TxRover]

4 hours ago, Sergeant Wilson said:

@TxRoverseems like decent guy but his league restructure ideas have never had any basis in reality.

Sir, it’s Pie & Bovril, why on earth would reality play into it? Appreciate the willingness of this forum to debate rather than just scream. I fear the level of yelling will be much higher in a couple of days, and the levels of sense somewhat less.

On the restructure ideas, without some far-fetched thinking we’ll just end up retreading some of the stupidity of the past, squeezing a team or two more here or there, limping along and complaining...I always felt that was more the English way.

[Sergeant Wilson]

4 minutes ago, TxRover said:

Sir, it’s Pie & Bovril, why on earth would reality play into it? Appreciate the willingness of this forum to debate rather than just scream. I fear the level of yelling will be much higher in a couple of days, and the levels of sense somewhat less.

On the restructure ideas, without some far-fetched thinking we’ll just end up retreading some of the stupidity of the past, squeezing a team or two more here or there, limping along and complaining...I always felt that was more the English way.

No, yours are like some football version of The Sims.

[Hank von Hell]

That's the AFL and NRL in Australia going ahead with reduced crowds inside stadiums as early as this weekend.

As I have said before this is the way ahead for the lower leagues...….with proper social distancing and crowd control it can be done......…. and before January.

[TxRover]

34 minutes ago, Hank von Hell said:

That's the AFL and NRL in Australia going ahead with reduced crowds inside stadiums as early as this weekend.

As I have said before this is the way ahead for the lower leagues...….with proper social distancing and crowd control it can be done......…. and before January.

News stories I can find aren’t very informative, what are the distancing protocols, if you know.

[Hank von Hell]

10 minutes ago, TxRover said:

News stories I can find aren’t very informative, what are the distancing protocols, if you know.

Only announced today, protocols still being worked out & subject to final Gov go ahead but aiming for this weekend as I said. 

Hospitality boxes also going to be brought back.

[TxRover]

On 09/06/2020 at 17:46, Hank von Hell said:

Only announced today, protocols still being worked out & subject to final Gov go ahead but aiming for this weekend as I said. 

Hospitality boxes also going to be brought back.

Saw six games with no crowds because the State governments won’t allow it, and the Adelaide Oval is going to allow just 2,000 spectators. Its nominal capacity is just over 55,000.

[Passionate]

18 minutes ago, TxRover said:

Saw six games with no crowds because the State governments won’t allow it, and the Adelaide Oval is going to allow just 2,000 spectators. Its nominal capacity is just over 55,000.

Things seem to be improving pretty quickly,  latest talk of pubs and restaurants opening mid July only a couple of week ago they were being shut till xmas,  have the spfl made a mess of next seasons lower leagues already,  mid October for championship and l1 and l2 not even quoted yet,  at this rate L1 could easily start mid august,   

[TxRover]

1 hour ago, Passionate said:

Things seem to be improving pretty quickly,  latest talk of pubs and restaurants opening mid July only a couple of week ago they were being shut till xmas,  have the spfl made a mess of next seasons lower leagues already,  mid October for championship and l1 and l2 not even quoted yet,  at this rate L1 could easily start mid august,   

I'd hold your horses a bit. Expect pretty dismal results from the U.S. "reopening" in a number of places to slow down the roll on "resuming normal". Of course, if you have people who are willing to wear masks instead of taking it as a challenge to their masuclinity, you might do OK.