Scotland v Ukraine

[craigkillie]

Apart from the obvious need for about a dozen countries to change their fixture schedule at short notice, the fact the draw for the World Cup takes place in April and the fact we'd still have to play Ukraine this month anyway even if we did so?

[jimbaxters]

5 hours ago, 2426255 said:

 

Yeah, we wouldn't want the war between Ukraine and Russia to impact upon Scotland reaching Qatar 2022. So let's just forget about the war for that 90 minutes, crack on and worry about it all after when we've got what we wanted. Sounds fantastic. 

Sometimes I wonder why you get so many reddies on here but then I read this post.

[Caledonian1]

5 hours ago, craigkillie said:

Apart from the obvious need for about a dozen countries to change their fixture schedule at short notice, the fact the draw for the World Cup takes place in April and the fact we'd still have to play Ukraine this month anyway even if we did so?

Nah, Wales and Austria can still play and our semi and the final can wait.  Nations League matches can be re-arranged no big deal.  World cup draw can go-ahead  - would just mean anyone of four taking the one slot....we can all wait a few weeks cant we. I just dont feel it appropriate anymore and we should wait and see how things pan out over the next few weeks.  European qualifying was re-sheduled anyway due to Covid - how we ended up with triple headers

 

Not sure what you mean by "we'd still have to play Ukraine this month anyway even if we did so"  Cancel the March fixture now to give everyone three weeks notice......play them once or twice in June (dependent on how the situation pans out)

Edited March 1, 2022 by Caledonian1

[craigkillie]

When can the Nations League matches be re-arranged for "no big deal"? The World Cup draw is seeded and different teams could be in different pots.

We can't just cram in 2 extra games in June - we already have 4 games scheduled for then.

Edited March 1, 2022 by craigkillie

[Clown Job]

I still have serious doubts the game will go ahead 

I know some people are saying they can select playing currently playing outwith Ukraine, but I don’t think it’s as simple as some are making it out to be 

But what’s the situation with the Ukrainian coaching team? It’s FA?

Id imagine FIFA would cover the Ukraine costs for a trip to Glasgow, but it’s still a pretty big ask for them to put a team together 

Assuming they’ll even want to play

[Ray Patterson]

On 28/02/2022 at 13:37, Sugar_Army said:

4 of us tried from 9am.  Never got close. 

I was a member of SSC from 1995 u til a couple of years ago when two if the kids we took started university and had amateur football and work commitments.  Think the straw that broke the camels back was it taking 4hrs to drive from Dundee to Hampden for a midweek game and still missing the first 15 mins...and we got pumped.

Ach well, my loss is Ukraine's gain as I donated what would have been my ticket money to International Red Cross Ukraine Appeal.  (Although other non-Ukraine appeals are available.

Legend btw.

51 minutes ago, craigkillie said:

When can the Nations League matches be re-arranged for "no big deal"? The World Cup draw is seeded and different teams could be in different pots.

We can't just cram in 2 extra games in June - we already have 4 games scheduled for then.

They could do what they do in the Rugby and have the Play-off winner listed as "Europe 1"

[Bogbrush1903]

29 minutes ago, Clown Job said:

I still have serious doubts the game will go ahead 

I know some people are saying they can select playing currently playing outwith Ukraine, but I don’t think it’s as simple as some are making it out to be 

But what’s the situation with the Ukrainian coaching team? It’s FA?

Id imagine FIFA would cover the Ukraine costs for a trip to Glasgow, but it’s still a pretty big ask for them to put a team together 

Assuming they’ll even want to play

I agree, I don't think the game will go ahead on March 24th.

I suspect the war will escalate as the month progresses.

Even if they can assemble players and staff, I don't think the appetite will be their to play a match whilst their country and citizens are under bombardment.

Edited March 1, 2022 by Bogbrush1903

[craigkillie]

1 hour ago, Ray Patterson said:

They could do what they do in the Rugby and have the Play-off winner listed as "Europe 1"

They could do, but some of the potential teams would be Pot 3 and others would be Pot 4 probably.

[Todd_is_God]

On 28/02/2022 at 18:29, craigkillie said:

Given that Russia's suspension could technically be lifted at any point I'd say only a bye makes proper sense.

I'm inclined to agree. Especially if the inclusion of a side who didn't qualify would have resulted in different seedings etc.

I'm also inclined to suggest that if Ukraine can't fulfil the match at Hampden in March then Scotland should get a bye. Postponing it a few months to June sounds good, but gives no guarantee that they would be in any better position (or even still exist) come then.

Edited March 1, 2022 by Todd_is_God

[Donathan]

There should certainly be no delay. That would be grossly unfair to Wales who would be in pot 3 if they qualify, but “Europe 1” would be in pot 4.

 

As pointed out earlier in the thread, Russia could have the ban lifted at any moment (and likewise, Ukraine could find themselves more able to fulfil the fixture at any moment if a ceasefire is agreed). For this reason I think calling up ringer teams is probably a non-starter, so it’ll likely be byes to the final for Poland (almost certainly) and Scotland (probable) unless a ceasefire is agreed. This also goes in line with the precedent set by the Spartak Moscow/RB Leipzig situation. 

 

I say a bye for us is only probable because I think there’s a non-zero chance that Ukraine will cobble together a team of overseas based players, whereas for Poland I think a bye is all but certain unless there’s a ceasefire leading to Russia being reinstated 

[Jambomo]

Yes it’s a tough one for UEFA, it’s just too soon to know what their situation is in terms of whether they want to play, can play, if they are emotionally able to play. So many variables that even the Ukraine won’t be able to answer anytime soon.

I certainly think they’ll try to find a way to postpone, even if it does create all sorts of fixture chaos. Fortunately there will be a lot of goodwill in football to help them to play, so I think they’ll find a way.

[HibeeJibee]

Henry McLeish suggesting 33-team WC finals (Ukraine qualify automatically; Poland + Scotland given SF byes).

Alternatively seems to suggest pooling Scotland/Austria/Wales/Poland/Czech Rep/Sweden into pathway for 1 slot; Ukraine given other.

[Bully Wee Villa]

3 hours ago, craigkillie said:

They could do, but some of the potential teams would be Pot 3 and others would be Pot 4 probably.

Isn't this still the case with the intercontinental playoffs, which aren't talking place until after the draw unless I'm mistaken?

[invergowrie arab]

2 minutes ago, HibeeJibee said:

Henry McLeish suggesting 33-team WC finals (Ukraine qualify automatically; Poland + Scotland given SF byes).

Alternatively seems to suggest pooling Scotland/Austria/Wales/Poland/Czech Rep/Sweden into pathway for 1 slot; Ukraine given other.

One of the perils of being a mouthpiece is probably being phoned at your tea and having to form an opinion on the spot.

[DiegoDiego]

There should certainly be no delay. That would be grossly unfair to Wales.

Gets my vote.

[Donathan]

That McLeish suggestion is pretty wacky. Instead FIFA should do something more realistic like merge Scotland and Ukraine together into Scokraine and have them play the Wales/Austria winner. Do the same with the other path and then ensure that Scokraine and Polanssia are kept apart in the finals draw to avoid WW3 breaking out. 

[2426255]

22 hours ago, jimbaxters said:

Sometimes I wonder why you get so many reddies on here but then I read this post.

Glad to have another fan on board. Cheers Jimbo 

Edited March 2, 2022 by 2426255

[Karpaty Lviv]

Despite the deadline being yesterday for away end tickets, they are still on sale on the website. I’ve no idea how many have been sold or how many were bought in Ukraine with the intention of traveling over, which won’t happen. The tickets bought for collection are to be sent over to the UK contacts and swapped for the certificates that were bought by locals here in the UK. According to the stadium map, it’s the normal away end allocation (1500-2000?)

[forameus]

The mooted "solution" seems to be to delay the playoff (and final) to June, and then the Nations League June games being moved to November prior to the tournament we may or may not be at.  That sounds...fine, in a way, but it's like sitting in April 2020 and saying "nae problem, we'll just delay that Scottish Cup tie and play it in May, this'll all have blown over by then".  Maybe by June everything will be OK and Ukraine will be able to send a team.  But what if it isn't?  Do you then just force them to play the game, when they could be in an even worse position - physically or mentally - than they are now?  Or do they chuck them out at that point?  

It's a shitty decision to have to make, it really is, but I think you have to just ask Ukraine what they want to do.  If they want to play, they should be allowed to, using whatever players they can muster.  If they don't, then it's a forfeit.  It's absolutely horrible for all involved, but I'm not sure a reschedule will help anyone.

[craigkillie]

I don't see how we can squeeze two extra games into November given that the domestic league seasons only stop on 13th November and the World Cup starts on 21st November. Are players going to be expected to play domestic football on Saturday or Sunday, then play Tuesday/Friday in the Nations League somewhere in Europe and then immediately on to Qatar to kick off a World Cup on the Monday?

This wouldn't just affect the four nations in our play-off path either - it also affects Poland, Netherlands, Croatia and Denmark, all of whom are either qualified for the World Cup or in the play-offs, and all of whom have Nations League games scheduled against Austria or Wales in June.

Edited March 2, 2022 by craigkillie