On 21/02/2012 23:01, John Sykes wrote: ================================
Rangers, one of basically two Scottish clubs in recent memory who win the league title.....now in administration, but even with the ten points taken away, remain in second place. That says a lot for the other ten teams in the SPL doesn't it.
And is a major problem for football in Scotland. Imagine a competition where your only realistic target is third place, where a cup draw away against either Rangers or Celtic is the lottery prize you have always wished for, especially if you are lingering at the bottom of league one. And worst of all you belong to a league where most of your potential local support is more interested in two Glasgow teams even if your club is in Dingwall. Add this to the fact that these two teams have been in the vanguard of imported talent for their playing staff and then marvel at the poverty of your national team (especially in the face of player emigration south of the border because they can't progress their careers in their home country). I'm very proud of Leeds' Scottish players, they have been the backbone of many a great lineup and up to a point they have provided a massive contribution to the Scottish National team but t the end of the day they have done little to counter the post sky television old firm effect (TPSTOFE). Many people are also attenpting to couner another underlying effect of the Rangers/Celtic axis, sectarianism. It is not until you winess this first hand - imagine getting your mail delivered in the Highlands by a postie with UTP or FTP tattooed on his hand for example - that you understand (or try to understand) that in many ways humanity is barely out of the swamp.
Last night's Ross County vs Morton match was cancelled because of a flooded pitch (we had torrential rain at 5:00pm). Not the end of the world, one might think. However the selfish nature of the Scottish Premier League means problems for both first division teams. It means that the Greenock team will now have to repeat the long journey North later in the season (if you know the A9 you will know that it's mainly single carriageway from Perth northwards and regular pile ups mean that people often get delayed whn using the route - last night's ref had to be replaced at short notice because of an accident at Dunkeld). Poor old County will also suffer as their fixture list gets clogged at the wrong end of a season when they are title contenders. (look at recent division one tables and see how many games County have regularly had in hand).
So how does the SPL affect County and Morton? Well primarily because, in spite of the SFA's Neil Doncaster trying to push through change, the SPL refuses to increase the number of teams in the league and thus reducing the number of games, you get 2 home and 2 away in Scoland because the leagues are artificially kept small. Larger leagues and a very sensible winter break (this is Scotland after all) are Doncaster's aim. The Chairmen however only see the scant television money being spread even thinner if the leagues are enlarged, television money which is reliant on the Old Firm derby providing four deal making matches each season.
There is much talk about the Old firm joining their Southern neighbours in the English PL, but as many have pointed out, what's the point of having two more Blackburns in the League? This is a moot point as if the two teams were playing against English PL opposition with English PL television money things might be different. They may be able to attract a higher calibre of player if they could offer a stage which included the big English clubs in the cast for starters.
The Craig Whyte situation at Ibrox is in many ways a side issue, its not about football per se, its more about governance in the game and the way that unscrupulous people may use the lax governance in football to their own ends if they so wish. Scottish football is rife with stories very similar to those we see South of the border (just look at Hearts and their current owner, another club on the verge of a visit from an HMRC desperate for payment).
Wither Scottish football then? Well Henry McLeish (disgraced ex first minister in a previous Scottish Government and ex player himself produced a very interesting report on grass roots football in Scotland much of which makes sense but the most telling part is when he talks about the proffessional game and says: "Scotland has the football it deserves". The report is worth reading if only to extend your knowledge about McLeish's thoughts on grassroots development of the game in a country of just over 5 million people. Its at:
http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/resources/documents/HenryMcLeishReview/Scottish%20Football%20Review.pdf Interesting times in Caledonia Betty _______________________________________________ Leedslist mailing list Info and options: http://mailman.greennet.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/leedslist To unsubscribe, email [email protected] PETE CASS (1962 - 2011) Rest In Peace Mate
