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The Beginning of the End


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Something pretty similar to Euroleague basketball is what I'd expect. Perhaps with North (England, Germany...) and South (Italy, Spain...) conferences.


Perhaps, but I definitely think they’d want representation from most nations for maximum interest. Perhaps 20 teams NE and 20 SW with a play off system. Regardless of format I doubt countries like Scotland will ever get more than 1 team in it. We’d probably end up with a one horse race instead of a two horse race in the SPFL.
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17 minutes ago, San Starko Rover said:

Perhaps, but I definitely think they’d want representation from most nations for maximum interest. Perhaps 20 teams NE and 20 SW with a play off system. Regardless of format I doubt countries like Scotland will ever get more than 1 team in it. We’d probably end up with a one horse race instead of a two horse race in the SPFL.

 

Be interested to see what would happen in that scenario. Certainly initially the remaining OF team would dominate but if they weren't in Europe and didn't have the other OF to play against would they continue to attract the big support?

The OF support may be enough to get them in such a setup but I'm not convinced they are guaranteed. If the top 5 nations (Eng, Fra, Spa, Ita, Ger) get 4-6 teams each, Rus, Tur, Ned, Por - 3 each that is almost 37 teams (depending on how many each get). Bigger populated countries like Pol, Ukr, Gre, Bel, Swe, Cze would all want a team involved and suddenly it is quite easy to get to 40 without the OF.

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Be interested to see what would happen in that scenario. Certainly initially the remaining OF team would dominate but if they weren't in Europe and didn't have the other OF to play against would they continue to attract the big support?
The OF support may be enough to get them in such a setup but I'm not convinced they are guaranteed. If the top 5 nations (Eng, Fra, Spa, Ita, Ger) get 4-6 teams each, Rus, Tur, Ned, Por - 3 each that is almost 37 teams (depending on how many each get). Bigger populated countries like Pol, Ukr, Gre, Bel, Swe, Cze would all want a team involved and suddenly it is quite easy to get to 40 without the OF.


The big clubs might want it but I think UEFA wouldn’t want as many as 6 clubs from any nation for that reason, the more countries involved the wider interest and the greater revenue they’ll generate. As I said before I think it’d be 4 maximum for the big leagues. If a country like Scotland has no team what percentage of the population would take a great interest in it?
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If we all started supporting the OF they might finally get the revenue needed to mount a serious challenge.


If they were in a European super league it’s likely what would happen, many would support a team in the European league from their country. Obviously the OF carry more baggage than most big clubs but if a super league was the norm you’d find many local clubs would just become peoples second teams bit like many Juniors fans will have a “big team” not current fans but probably younger ones drawn by the hype, how many youngsters do you see with EPL and La Liga shirts.
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Guest TheJTS98
13 hours ago, San Starko Rover said:

 


Perhaps, but I definitely think they’d want representation from most nations for maximum interest. Perhaps 20 teams NE and 20 SW with a play off system. Regardless of format I doubt countries like Scotland will ever get more than 1 team in it. We’d probably end up with a one horse race instead of a two horse race in the SPFL.

 

I can't see any set-up taking just one of them. Everything here is based on marketing and the Old Firm are seen as a package. It wouldn't really make sense to just take one of them.

11 hours ago, San Starko Rover said:

If they were in a European super league it’s likely what would happen, many would support a team in the European league from their country. Obviously the OF carry more baggage than most big clubs but if a super league was the norm you’d find many local clubs would just become peoples second teams bit like many Juniors fans will have a “big team” not current fans but probably younger ones drawn by the hype, how many youngsters do you see with EPL and La Liga shirts.

 

This is the norm in lots of places already and, despite the howls of derision on this forum about it, is already really common in Scotland. We should stop beating ourselves up about it. I know plenty of people who support their local team in Scotland plus a 'big' side. Obviously, plenty of these support the Old Firm as their other team, but there's a boy I know who supports Alloa and goes regularly but has been an enthusiastic attender to four Hearts European trips with me and my mates and occasionally comes to support Hearts in derbies etc when we have a free ticket.

Equally, I know plenty of lower league English fans who are genuine supporters of their team, but have a big English team. One of my best mates is a Wigan fan, but he'll vocally and enthusiastically support Man Utd in Premier League or Champions League games against other teams. Same with a lad I know who supports Lincoln City and has Spurs as his other team. And the Spanish engineers I knew at a job a few years ago who all supported Cadiz or Real Sociedad but were enthusiastic Barca supporters in Champions League games.

Equally, many fans of big clubs have a 'wee' team. Or a second team based on living somewhere else or marrying into a family etc.

Most people 'support' more than one team. I think what would be interesting to see is how the balance would tip. Would people consider themselves OF Team A fans first and say, Motherwell fans second, or vice-versa? My Alloa mate goes to great pains to point out he's an Alloa fan first and is only 'Hearts favourable'. It'd be interesting to see how situations like that end up long-term in a superleague scenario.

Edited by TheJTS98
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I can't see any set-up taking just one of them. Everything here is based on marketing and the Old Firm are seen as a package. It wouldn't really make sense to just take one of them.

I disagree with you there. If the choice is two clubs from Celtic, Sevco, Panathanaikos and Olympiacos they'll choose one Scots and one Greek.
I'd imagine the league would be some combination of decade+ long licenses giving automatic participation for mega clubs and some form of qualification for diddies like the cheeks. That's all conjecture on my part though.
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On 11/02/2021 at 15:13, San Starko Rover said:

 


Perhaps, but I definitely think they’d want representation from most nations for maximum interest. Perhaps 20 teams NE and 20 SW with a play off system. Regardless of format I doubt countries like Scotland will ever get more than 1 team in it. We’d probably end up with a one horse race instead of a two horse race in the SPFL.

 

A standalone ESL isn't really going to care about European country representation. 

They'll be chasing what they can get globally, displacing the CL and trying to eat into what the EPL/La Liga & co pick up in international rights. 

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8 hours ago, DiegoDiego said:

I disagree with you there. If the choice is two clubs from Celtic, Sevco, Panathanaikos and Olympiacos they'll choose one Scots and one Greek.
I'd imagine the league would be some combination of decade+ long licenses giving automatic participation for mega clubs and some form of qualification for diddies like the cheeks. That's all conjecture on my part though.

Everything about them is a double act. They come as a pair or not at all.

Greece has a population double that of Scotland and has a larger diaspora around the world. 2 teams from Greece is more valuable from a marketing point of view than 1 OF team on it's own in my opinion.

I agree they will want to spread out their marketing area but in such a scenario do countries like Ireland/Norway/Finland/Denmark put forward a new team that could capture that whole countries support? That may mean they may only want 1 Scottish side. But Scots are so bitter, if they do choose one OF team then half of Scotland will automatically support someone else.

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