2020/21 League Cup

[parsforlife]

29 minutes ago, Spikethedee said:

Any idea exactly how many TV games there will be??

 

Guessing at:

 

Our trip to Easter Road, Fermers v DABS, Hearts v ICT & St Mirren v Morton for definite, as well as something random like Alloa v Airdrie. Not sure what else. Maybe something involving Patrick???

It’s been 5 games normally, sometimes 6.  On top of those games possible Raith vs hearts,  and you could see some media interest in ‘Barry Ferguson’s Kelty hearts’ So one of their games vs a premiership side might get shown.  Even possibly ross county vs Elgin?

[realmadrid]

33 minutes ago, Bully Wee Villa said:

Three League Two teams in Group F, none in Group E.  Two Premiership teams in Group A. None in Group C.

Literally no idea why they base the seeding on the previous season, it just allows stupid scenarios like above.

Fair to say our involvement won't last long! 

Since the 1980s when it became the Skol cup its always been based on the season before league positions 

Normally the group stage is before the season starts so it makes sense 

Also it gives a bit of variety , not quite the reverse seeding of the 70s when some groups were all top level and others all second tier thus giving smaller teams a chance of a quarter final. 

 

[Lyle Lanley]

2 hours ago, BawWatchin said:

Whoever made that was an absolute bloody genius. Sheer genius. Top Hibs boi.

Sure it was Forever Hibs. 

[Bully Wee Villa]

1 hour ago, realmadrid said:

Since the 1980s when it became the Skol cup its always been based on the season before league positions 

Normally the group stage is before the season starts so it makes sense 

Also it gives a bit of variety , not quite the reverse seeding of the 70s when some groups were all top level and others all second tier thus giving smaller teams a chance of a quarter final. 

 

It gives the very opposite of variety. Teams drawn against two teams from their own division, guaranteeing a minimum of five matches against said team. It is the 2020/21 League Cup, it would make much more sense for the seedings to reflect the 2020/21 leagues. Baffling that they persist with this. Equally stupid is the insistence on equal sized North and South sections, despite there being far fewer clubs in the North of Scotland, leading to Edinburgh clubs being in the "North" section.

Edited August 10, 2020 by Bully Wee Villa

[Salvo Montalbano]

Any idea exactly how many TV games there will be??
 
Guessing at:
 
Our trip to Easter Road, Fermers v DABS, Hearts v ICT & St Mirren v Morton for definite, as well as something random like Alloa v Airdrie. Not sure what else. Maybe something involving Patrick???

I wouldn't say any games are "definite" given that it's now on Premier Sports. They usually pick games involving Celtic and Rangers* in the Scottish Cup (they've shown Rangers at home to Stranraer FFS) and their colt teams in the Irn Bru/Tunnock's Cup so with those teams not in it who knows. Hibs and Hearts will probably feature at least once each, but will they care about St Mirren v Morton or Falkirk v Dunfermline? Probably not. At least with BT they gave the impression that they had a wee bit of interest in the other clubs. Premier picked the Celtic v Aberdeen Scottish Cup semi final over the Edinburgh Derby for their "exclusive" pick in that competition (which is good news for the rest of us as it means the BBC will also cover the derby).

[parsforlife]

Shit forgot we’re using those useless c***s.  Their deal is to show at least 12 games.  I’m sure they hope they can show 7 games with OF.  The other 5 they’ll probably not give a f**k with. Probably scrabble for OF connections rather than what ties will be interesting.  Definitely can’t see them taking the optional extra 4 games.   

Whats the chances of them taking cove or Brora games and trying desperately to not use the first bit of their names? 

Edited August 10, 2020 by parsforlife

[Ro Sham Bo]

9 hours ago, RiG said:

Third year in a row against Raith for us and the third year in five we will face Cowdenbeath. Yawn.

Almost the exact same group as 2 seasons ago, with East Fife taking Cove's place. 

This regionalisation of the group stage is horrible. 

[Ranaldo Bairn]

1 hour ago, Ro Sham Bo said:

Almost the exact same group as 2 seasons ago, with East Fife taking Cove's place. 

This regionalisation of the group stage is horrible. 

As predicted.

[AmericanFan]

11 hours ago, ATLIS said:

I think that's actually changing this year, top 4 and both cup winners get Europe from what I'd read. Scotland gained an extra European place and there's the new UEFA Conference League.

Nah, it’s just the Scottish Cup winner that qualifies.

Top 2 to CL

Scottish Cup winner or 3rd place to Europa League

4th and 5th place to Europa Conference League (if Scottish Cup winner is one of the top 3 teams)

[AmericanFan]

12 hours ago, craigkillie said:

The incentive to care about this cup is that it's a trophy we can win. More or less everyone plays a full-strength side.

Right on. 
I just have a hard time seeing why the OF teams, if in the midst of a Europe run, would waste legs here when Europe and league play appear far more important?

Still learning the dynamics of Scottish football here in Texas.

[craigkillie]

15 minutes ago, AmericanFan said:

Right on. 
I just have a hard time seeing why the OF teams, if in the midst of a Europe run, would waste legs here when Europe and league play appear far more important?

Still learning the dynamics of Scottish football here in Texas.

Winning trophies is the whole point of football here - it's not like England where they spend all season trying to qualify for Europe only to then not take it seriously in case it affects their chances of qualifying for Europe the next season. The League Cup is two matches for them before the semi-finals and then they're playing at Hampden in front of a big crowd.

[lichtie23]

Apologies if it’s been asked before but anyone have any idea of when the fixtures will be released?

[Skyline Drifter]

4 hours ago, lichtie23 said:

Apologies if it’s been asked before but anyone have any idea of when the fixtures will be released?

It's usually about a week after the draw. I'd be surprised if they are out before Friday. Early next week seems more likely though. Nothing confirmed.

[David W]

Fixtures out now. Seven live games, with Dunfermline v Falkirk and St Mirren v Morton and St Johnstone v Dundee Utd joining pairs of games involving Hearts (ICT and Raith) and Hibernian (Cove and Dundee).

[parsforlife]

What’s the deal with TV cash these days?  Is it all part of the general prize pot or is there some payment for being one of sides on TV?

[David W]

Previous BT deal there were payments to the clubs on TV. No idea about the new deal.

[Zen Archer (Raconteur)]

Just now, David W said:

Previous BT deal there were payments to the clubs on TV. No idea about the new deal.

The money is pooled for prizes.

[The Master]

On 10/08/2020 at 19:44, Salvo Montalbano said:

 

 

I wouldn't say any games are "definite" given that it's now on Premier Sports. They usually pick games involving Celtic and Rangers* in the Scottish Cup (they've shown Rangers at home to Stranraer FFS) and their colt teams in the Irn Bru/Tunnock's Cup so with those teams not in it who knows. Hibs and Hearts will probably feature at least once each, but will they care about St Mirren v Morton or Falkirk v Dunfermline? Probably not. At least with BT they gave the impression that they had a wee bit of interest in the other clubs. Premier picked the Celtic v Aberdeen Scottish Cup semi final over the Edinburgh Derby for their "exclusive" pick in that competition (which is good news for the rest of us as it means the BBC will also cover the derby).

 

This post literally makes no sense because Premier bought the rights to the League Cup fully aware that the majority of their televised games would be from the group stage, which will almost certainly never feature Celtic or Rangers*. 

[Salvo Montalbano]

This post literally makes no sense because Premier bought the rights to the League Cup fully aware that the majority of their televised games would be from the group stage, which will almost certainly never feature Celtic or Rangers*. 

Well no, because Premier may well have been happy to pay the money knowing they'd get their five games or whatever involving them (and presumably an Old Firm* game) and weren't that fussed about the rest. They also paid to show the Challenge Cup and ended up not taking up their games in the last few seasons (they showed a few Old Fim* Colt games in the competition although to be fair to them they also showed Dunfermline v Dundee Utd) and the picks they did go with include a few that aren't particularly exciting to the casual viewer but do involve the bigger teams that are in this stage. Picking two games from both Hibs and Hearts for instance (not that there are any real stand out ties elsewhere but still).

[The Master]

1 hour ago, Salvo Montalbano said:

 

 

Well no, because Premier may well have been happy to pay the money knowing they'd get their five games or whatever involving them (and presumably an Old Firm* game) and weren't that fussed about the rest.

In which case, why didn’t they just offer the SPFL the same amount for only 7 games (the maximum required to show all Celtic and Rangers* games if they both reach the final), instead of being obligated to fork out for the production costs of up to 16?

1 hour ago, Salvo Montalbano said:

They also paid to show the Challenge Cup and ended up not taking up their games in the last few seasons (they showed a few Old Fim* Colt games in the competition although to be fair to them they also showed Dunfermline v Dundee Utd) and the picks they did go with include a few that aren't particularly exciting to the casual viewer but do involve the bigger teams that are in this stage. Picking two games from both Hibs and Hearts for instance (not that there are any real stand out ties elsewhere but still).

 

The Challenge Cup TV deal was such a clusterf**k that I don’t think anybody really knew who was supposed to show what (especially the SPFL and the broadcasters themselves).  Even BT randomly started showing games last season, despite not being mentioned as a broadcast partner. 

I’m not saying Premier don’t favour the ugly sisters. But to claim they don’t really care about the group stage of the League Cup when nearly half the games they will show come from it, is patently nonsense.