deecie Posted December 2, 2014 Share Posted December 2, 2014 In my experience there has been a noticeable shift in youth football the last 5-10 years away from that. It's all about technique and having fun, which is the way it should be imo my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phart Posted December 2, 2014 Share Posted December 2, 2014 In my opinion they could at least try fitness coaches as a starting point. Exactly, fighters bring in non-fighters for strength and conditioning all the time, as do loads of other sports. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larky Masher Posted December 2, 2014 Author Share Posted December 2, 2014 There is another factor which affects out game hugely and affects the quality of players that most clubs can keep and that's the domination by two huge clubs. They can afford to outspend all the others and as we have seen in years gone by to buy their best players. Can you imagine a league of 6 or 7 clubs all the size of hearts/ Aberdeen instead? I amnot blaming the big Glasgow clubs but it is a factor of our game and not a good one. But this "big club" domination is also in factor in England, Spain, Portugal, Holland, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Portugal and even Switzerland (13 place higher than us in the UEFA coefficients you need to look to Sweden, Denmark and Norway for a wider spread of league champions which is possibly because they don't have the big club effect but their UEFA coefficients are very similar to ours, which is interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larky Masher Posted December 2, 2014 Author Share Posted December 2, 2014 The draw of these 2 clubs particularly from places like Lanarkshire, Ayrshire or paisley for example cannot be underestimated. Using my own club as an example, it wouldn't surprise me if Motherwell were the 3rd best supported team in motherwell, likewise in Kilmarnock or paisley. When you get to the wider Lanarkshire area, fans of Motherwell, Hamilton or Airdrie become even rarer. I wouldn't imagine this is such an issue for the other city clubs mind you? Without turning this into the old firm bashing thread larky was hoping to avoid, the domination of Scottish football by the old firm has certainly damaged Scottish football, possibly terminally? Until the early 90s, although the old firm were always going to be dominant, it certainly wasn't in the same way it had become before rangers demise. The carve ups that saw all the money weighted towards the top 2, and the inexplicable decision to rearrange it to top 1 (Lawell has surely got compromising pictures of Leanne dempster and Stuart Milne at the SFA Christmas party?) have helped them strengthen and strengthen their position at the top, but we can't lay all the blame at the door of the big bad old firm, our chairman all must've agreed to this at some point, no doubt as some short term fix? I also think it's fair to say that along with other Scottish clubs, the old firm have on the most part underachieved on the European stage, particularly in the 90s and early 00s when Scottish clubs were spending big money to lose to teams like Viktoria zizkhov and Mypa 47. This has weakened our position in Europe, which has become a vicious cycle, chanpions keague generated money, that allows for better players, which will help you compete, which helps your coefficient, gets you more champions keague places, more money...... I don't think your knocking Rangers or Celtic but I don't think you can blame Rangers or Celtic for people exercising their free will in deciding what team to support and whilst it's not healthy for the game this is something that little can be done about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larky Masher Posted December 2, 2014 Author Share Posted December 2, 2014 sure. As soon as Rangers die 3 out of 39 still quite encouraging. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShedTA Posted December 2, 2014 Share Posted December 2, 2014 But this "big club" domination is also in factor in England, Spain, Portugal, Holland, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Portugal and even Switzerland (13 place higher than us in the UEFA coefficients you need to look to Sweden, Denmark and Norway for a wider spread of league champions which is possibly because they don't have the big club effect but their UEFA coefficients are very similar to ours, which is interesting. I don't know the specifics Larky but I think the gulf in financial clout in Scotland seems bigger. you must have 4 or 5 clubs in some of the bigger countries able to compete financially. eg England - Man U, Chelsea, Man City, arsenal, Germany and Italy surely have several clubs which can compete quite closely. I know Spain is a different matter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thplinth Posted December 2, 2014 Share Posted December 2, 2014 Aww didums is the board troll having a wee greet at folk trolling him. Hilarious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larky Masher Posted December 2, 2014 Author Share Posted December 2, 2014 I don't know the specifics Larky but I think the gulf in financial clout in Scotland seems bigger. you must have 4 or 5 clubs in some of the bigger countries able to compete financially. eg England - Man U, Chelsea, Man City, arsenal, Germany and Italy surely have several clubs which can compete quite closely. I know Spain is a different matter. I'd did a quick check and the countries I used did have a 2 or 3 (I thought taking to 3 was acceptable for a larger league) team dominance, in Italy since in last 20 years only Lazio outwith AC, Inter or Juve have won the league, in Germany in the last 20 years it's even Munich 11 times then Dotmund with 5 win. I did find it interesting that there seems to be some correlation between big team domestic dominance and (relative) European success so if you have a competitive open domestic league then then you'll struggle in Europe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TartanJon Posted December 2, 2014 Share Posted December 2, 2014 I went to quite a lot of games last season and was pleasantly surprised at the way most teams at least try and play a bit of football (Motherwell being the exception).Mostly I never saw or was involved in any bother and I had some great days out watching my team win,lose or draw. Admission,food& drink and travel is still too high (not Thistle) and need to be looked at. It isn't actually as bad as some would have you believe... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbcmfc Posted December 2, 2014 Share Posted December 2, 2014 I don't think your knocking Rangers or Celtic but I don't think you can blame Rangers or Celtic for people exercising their free will in deciding what team to support and whilst it's not healthy for the game this is something that little can be done about. No, not at all, but their dominance has been enhanced by the game being run in a manner that would appear to benefit those 2 clubs more than the others, the gap between the old firm and the rest has grown massively in the last 25 years. The domestic success that's brought has increased their support, giving them greater funding.... That's without going into the social factors (for want of a better description) that account for peoples choice of team. On a side note, I can't believe it was over 20 years ago that Parma won serie A. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larky Masher Posted December 2, 2014 Author Share Posted December 2, 2014 (edited) No, not at all, but their dominance has been enhanced by the game being run in a manner that would appear to benefit those 2 clubs more than the others, the gap between the old firm and the rest has grown massively in the last 25 years. The domestic success that's brought has increased their support, giving them greater funding.... That's without going into the social factors (for want of a better description) that account for peoples choice of team. On a side note, I can't believe it was over 20 years ago that Parma won serie A. Do you (and others) than that the TV money should be spread more evenly i.e. for the amount given to the SPFL each team gets (for arguments sake) 7% of the pot with the remaining 14% being the prize money? Edited December 2, 2014 by Larky Masher Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flynnyboy Posted December 2, 2014 Share Posted December 2, 2014 I think as larky initially muted the main problem is price of admission. 25quid for a distinctly average product in the freezing cold or pishing rain is just not attractive to the casual fan. I sincerely believe summer football at all ages and levels is essential in our progression as a nation trying to improve the standard of our national game. It would also make us an appealing league re tv coverage surely as there would be no real competition for a couple of months. There has been significant positive steps to improve our infrastructure at youth level and that is to be applauded but we have to appreciate the climate of the country we play in and make football more appealing to the masses, be that encouraging more youths to partake in playing the game or encouraging people to attend the game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShedTA Posted December 2, 2014 Share Posted December 2, 2014 Do you (and others) than that the TV money should be spread more evenly i.e. for the amount given to the SPFL each team gets (for arguments sake) 7% of the pot with the remaining 14% being the prize money? I guess anything to try and even up the money/ close the huge gap would be a help, but I doing know if splitting the TV money like that for example would really have any significant impact. maybe. will be interesting to see now that some of the senior clubs have wiped out their debt whether we might see more of a challenge to Celtic. maybe if rangers can sort themselves out, they can contribute too, and a re-invigorated hearts. my only hope for change is that Celtic maybe won't spend in the huge manner seen previously but if they keep qualifying for European group stages they will still rake in ridiculous amounts of cash. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbcmfc Posted December 2, 2014 Share Posted December 2, 2014 Do you (and others) than that the TV money should be spread more evenly i.e. for the amount given to the SPFL each team gets (for arguments sake) 7% of the pot with the remaining 14% being the prize money? The TV/prize money is a big part of most clubs income, whereas in relative terms, it's a fairly small piece of the pie for the old firm. I don't have the figures to hand, but the old deal for prize money was heavily weighted towards 1st and 2nd. (IIRC the gap from 2nd-3rd was bigger than the gap from 3-12). This again brings us back to the folk that run the game and our clubs, who obviously agreed to this method. Not only that, but with rangers out the picture, instead of spreading more evenly top to bottom, they left 1st place %age untouched and divided the difference from 2nd to 3rd down the league. Talk about short term thinking! (Guaranteeing 0.5% extra) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irnbruman Posted December 2, 2014 Share Posted December 2, 2014 I stopped going to watch Blackpool for two reasons - first the price - just wasn't worth it and secondly they made the ground all-seater - used to meet up with a mate of mine in the terracing but not possible to do so when not a season ticket holder. Ive also stopped going to home Scotland matches as the SFA are taking the piss here. Wont stop the away matches no matter what the price as I go for the whole travel and match experience. On the plus side , I really enjoy Junior matches - particularly the Junior Cup - great fun at a fiver a go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnie x Posted December 3, 2014 Share Posted December 3, 2014 Sounds like Barry Hearn has given them a bit of a wake up call at the SFA conference today. I wonder if anything will come of it. :tumbleweed: (sounded a bit like some of the points on here) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mee Posted December 3, 2014 Share Posted December 3, 2014 One of the local primary schools in my area has a big astro-turf pitch but when the school is shut, the pitch is locked up (it's surrounded by a big fence), even in the summer. There arent many other countries where an unlocked astro pitch would be set on fire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hannibal smith Posted December 3, 2014 Share Posted December 3, 2014 Sounds like Barry Hearn has given them a bit of a wake up call at the SFA conference today. I wonder if anything will come of it. :tumbleweed: (sounded a bit like some of the points on here) yep, copied from another forum 'There was an interview with him at Hampden at the Scottish FA Convention at which I think he was a guest speaker. He had some very interesting comments on our game. He reckons our game doesn't sell itself well and Scottish football needs to put out more optimism instead of making out that everything is bad. Depressing he called it. He also said that it's outrageous that the league doesn't have a sponsor and suggested that if he was in charge and someone failed to secure a sponsor they'd be sacked. The alcohol ban should be removed as the same people can but drink outside the ground but not inside. The bigger clubs can't be greedy and should look at increasing the 'size of the cake' rather than trying to take more of a smaller cake. More free tickets should be given to kids as most grounds are half empty. Not a ringing endorsement of Doncaster and his cronies. Perhaps he's after his job?! I'd give him it. He'd do a hell of a lot better than Doncaster that's for sure.' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deecie Posted December 3, 2014 Share Posted December 3, 2014 Who the hell is this guy? I like him already. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mee Posted December 3, 2014 Share Posted December 3, 2014 http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/david-mccarthy-gates-hell--4737398 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShedTA Posted December 3, 2014 Share Posted December 3, 2014 he won't get invited back then will he? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northernscum Posted December 3, 2014 Share Posted December 3, 2014 Just hearing Regan's response on Sportsound. Reading between the lines of what he actually said i get the impression he has no intention of changing the way things are going to be run in any meaningful way. As much as Barry Hearn is a bit of a tool, he would be an absolute godsend as CEO of the SFA. I guarantee he would clear the place of deadwood within a few weeks and we would start seeing major differences within a year. Back in the real world we will have to put up with the total incompetence of the current incumbants. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wembley67lisbon Posted December 3, 2014 Share Posted December 3, 2014 Regan should be running scared if Hearn shows interest. Would be great for the club game I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macy37 Posted December 3, 2014 Share Posted December 3, 2014 Hearn spot on. No sponsor, they don't believe in themselves and their product so why would a prospective sponsor? Yet they and clubs continue to raise prices for a crap product. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jock strap Posted December 3, 2014 Share Posted December 3, 2014 What nationality is Hearn out of interest ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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