Scottish football without the OF

[ahemps]

I know this has been discussed countless times but with talk of the ESL and with the sun saying today the OF are being considered for a move to England it is a current topic.

All I hear from OF fans is that Scottish league football will die without them. I really don't believe that at all. I believe there would be less money and a less profile league but it would be a more competitive league and in time would be a success in relative terms.

I am wondering what the consensus is among non OF fans.

 

[AJF]

How come the views are only being sought from non OF fans?

[Dons_1988]

7 minutes ago, AJF said:

How come the views are only being sought from non OF fans?

Because only valid opinions are welcome?

[AJF]

2 minutes ago, andrew21 said:

Where does it say that?

As a Rangers fan "do you think non old firm fans want to see the OF move on to whatever league would take them" 

How can I answer a question on someone else’s behalf? I don’t know what non OF fans want.

Edit: they also state they are wondering what the consensus is amongst non OF fans.

Edited April 22, 2021 by AJF

[ahemps]

8 minutes ago, AJF said:

How come the views are only being sought from non OF fans?

Your views are welcome. Sorry if it came across that you weren't welcome.

As I said from my experience a large percentage of them just assume it would die so in that sense would there opinion be relevant as they wouldn't be involved? But I would genuinely like to hear what your views on it would be.

[G51]

Send the OF to England. It'll be funny to see Celtic fucking about in the Championship with Mick McCarthy in charge, and I've no idea what English football would even do with the corpse of dead Rangers.

Would clear the path for Sevco to put together the worlds longest unbeaten run in professional sports.

[Dundee Hibernian]

Scottish football will never get rid of them.

[Dons_1988]

Hopefully they'll leave behind colt teams so I can get all starry eyed and excited when they still come to town.

[Leith Green]

Saw this story coming up earlier - despite all of Lawells protestations over the years, the Celtic board loved the fact that they won 10iar <checks notes> a lot of titles before this season and most of their fans - imo - gloried in the fact that they basically turned up and steamrollered other teams.

For all the "we need competition in Scotland" bullshit, it suited their business model in exactly the same way as it will now suit Rangers.

While I think it would be amusing to see these two teams struggle with "genuine competition" refs that dont go get intimidated and not being anywhere near the biggest fish in the pond.............it wont happen, as they know when they are on to a good thing and will shit their pants if offered the option.

[deadasdillinger]

Dont give a f**k where they go, just go

[AJF]

1 minute ago, ahemps said:

Your views are welcome. Sorry if it came across that you weren't welcome.

As I said from my experience a large percentage of them just assume it would die so in that sense would there opinion be relevant as they wouldn't be involved? But I would genuinely like to hear what your views on it would be.

I think if Rangers and Celtic were to head off somewhere, there would be an initial downturn in the SPFL as I’d expect broadcasters to slash their funding.

Clubs would need to adjust their budgets accordingly but I don’t think it would be the apocalypse that many believe it would be.

If Sky (or whoever) start offering up an even worse product than they currently do, then I think fans will cancel their subscriptions. And I agree that the league would be infinitely more competitive. This could then eventually see TV deals bouncing back a bit, but I doubt it would achieve what it previously did before the OF left, but the prize pot would no longer be getting shared predominantly between Rangers and Celtic.

So I think there would be a reduction in the funding the game would get but not the levels where clubs cannot adapt and continue.

[GordonS]

I think it would be great for the SPFL but bad for Scotland as a whole. They'd be playing "bigger" games in the world's most watched league, and I think they'd suck up even more attention and hangers-on. English fans would be coming to Glasgow every week and one of them would be going down there, with definite scope for trouble.

I'd love to see an SPFL in which there would be a few clubs with hopes of winning it every year, and others who could pull off a surprise in a good season. The atmosphere at the grounds of clubs going for the title would be fantastic. They'd have a bit less cash for salaries, but so what. I'll take a slightly lower standard of player for a real, competitive league.

[Melanius Mullarkey]

Just move Scottish football to England and leave the pair of c***s up here.

IMHO

[Ill Ray]

The prospect of a non old firm Scottish premiership has been one that I’d have love to have seen for years. It has the potential to be one of the most competitive in Europe. Think of the amount of teams that could win. So many have came 3rd or 2nd in the past, the Aberdeens, the Motherwells, the Hibs, Hearts, St Johnstones, Kilmarnocks and virtually any other team in the top flight could win it. The money may not be there but is that really a bad thing when you don’t need to stretch finances to compete as much? 

 

[ahemps]

1 minute ago, AJF said:

I think if Rangers and Celtic were to head off somewhere, there would be an initial downturn in the SPFL as I’d expect broadcasters to slash their funding.

Clubs would need to adjust their budgets accordingly but I don’t think it would be the apocalypse that many believe it would be.

If Sky (or whoever) start offering up an even worse product than they currently do, then I think fans will cancel their subscriptions. And I agree that the league would be infinitely more competitive. This could then eventually see TV deals bouncing back a bit, but I doubt it would achieve what it previously did before the OF left, but the prize pot would no longer be getting shared predominantly between Rangers and Celtic.

So I think there would be a reduction in the funding the game would get but not the levels where clubs cannot adapt and continue.

I agree and as a new concept it may need to market itself, if the TV deal from Sky is poor then go free to air for a few seasons to grow. I'm sure a few close titles between Hibs and Hearts, a league win for Killie or Dundee Utd and it would find a decent market.

Clubs like Motherwell don't have money for transfers so have to bring through youth players and are picking up free transfers from the likes of Forest Green Rovers so would there model really change? I reckon they would still be scouting in the same markets they currently are. I don't think the quality actually changes for these sides.

The winner of the league would enter the CL qualifiers but even if they get beat they may only need to win 1 tie to get Europa league group football. Teams like Dundalk, FK Dudelange and Slovan Liberec are qualifying for the Europa, these clubs are nowhere near the size of Aberdeen, Hearts or Hibs and in fact these 3 clubs can match Slavia and Sparta for average attendances so they have good potential. European group football may offset lost revenue from a TV deal granted it would only go to the clubs and not the league as a whole. The coefficient would go down but after the top 15 countries who get 5-7 places the rest get 4 so being 16th or 48th wouldn't matter. 

[SANTAN]

I would like a British Cup over the league idea. I don't want us to leave the Scottish Leagues, if they properly integrated both leagues so Hibs and Hearts etc have a chance at winning then that would be good, more money for everyone. In the situation where it was only on offer to the Old Firm I wouldn't want it. I know everyone on PnB is united in their staunch anti Old Firm stance so I know it would be welcomed on here but I'm also sure 5 years after people would still be blaming Rangers and celtc for something. 

[Forever_blueco]

4 minutes ago, Ill Ray said:

The prospect of a non old firm Scottish premiership has been one that I’d have love to have seen for years. It has the potential to be one of the most competitive in Europe. Think of the amount of teams that could win. So many have came 3rd or 2nd in the past, the Aberdeens, the Motherwells, the Hibs, Hearts, St Johnstones, Kilmarnocks and virtually any other team in the top flight could win it. The money may not be there but is that really a bad thing when you don’t need to stretch finances to compete as much? 

 

To be honest the first few years could potentially be like that but I feel that over time it would again be dominated by the same teams over and over again I.E most Likley Aberdeen , Hibs and Hearts .  It’s just what tends to happen in football the clubs with most resources most often rise to the top and tend to stay around there. 

Edited April 22, 2021 by Forever_blueco

[Ranaldo Bairn]

Even the idea of an integrated league is making me sick in my mouth.

"And here are the results from the EFL Third Division North, Section 2 (North). Hearts 0, Dundee United 0..."

Yet another attempt to subsume us into a neighbouring country. Get fucked.

[Dunfermline Don]

I think the game here could thrive without them.

You would have a number of teams starting the season believing they could win the league rather thinking finishing 3rd was successful.

Fans will come out to see successful teams actually playing for something. I have seen a bigger crowd at East End for the Pars playing Raith when both were going for promotion than the Pars got against the OF the following season.

The only thing that could spoil it would be if they left colt teams.

[ahemps]

1 minute ago, Stormzy said:

I would like a British Cup over the league idea. I don't want us to leave the Scottish Leagues, if they properly integrated both leagues so Hibs and Hearts etc have a chance at winning then that would be good, more money for everyone. In the situation where it was only on offer to the Old Firm I wouldn't want it. I know everyone on PnB is united in their staunch anti Old Firm stance so I know it would be welcomed on here but I'm also sure 5 years after people would still be blaming Rangers and celtc for something. 

But Celtic and Rangers believe they could compete in the EPL. Hearts, Hibs Aberdeen and the rest do not. Okay 1 of them  could maybe do a Burnley or Bournemouth but they could quite as easily be like Ipswich and be stuck in league 1. The rest would be scattered from the national to league 1, none would want that.