K before this descends into a Old Firm v's the rest of Scottish football arguement, lets try and be not too partisan about the whole thing.
My take on it is that you'll find exactly the same conversation taking place on forums in Denmark, Sweden, Portugal, Netherlands (WTA?), Belgium, Greece, Switzerland, etc. where these leagues are all generally dominated by 2-3 teams. We're all in the same boat with regards to declining quality, gates, and being able to compete with "the big 5" leagues.
It's interesting that there is some polarisation on here, i.e. it's all the Old Firms fault or it's not the Old Firm's fault it's everyone else's fault.
Ranald wrote:It'll never happen but an NFL-style franchise system with all income being pooled and divided equally between the clubs, with a draft system of promising young players, is the only way domestic football in Scotland has any hope of ever being competitive again. Trapper's been on about this for years and I've come round to his way of thinking over the last year or so.
Your right Ranald it'll never happen, there are a number of reasons for this. The US has an incredible academy system through their College network to churn out the 'wonderkids', we don't have that. Also bear in mind there is no relegation in the NFL, and how would you cope with Stewart Milne moving "Aberdeen" lock, stock and barrel to Livingston? Or Celtic to Dublin
? On the face of it the NFL looks like an ideal model, but it's the absolute pinnacle of US sport and the money on offer makes Frank Lampard look like he's on minimum wage. The NFL can really only be compared to the Champions League in my mind. Much as some may not like it, no one club has dominated it the way it used to happen in the 70's and 80's. So with that in mind perhaps maybe other teams become feeder teams to an enlarged Champions League setup?
Maybe there are feeder teams within the Scottish League for the SPL. A Celtic or Rangers reserve side playing in Div 1 (SPL2?) which cannot get promoted or play in Cup games? There's maybe room for 12 professional sides and 12 semi-professional.
The main thing holding the game back in Scotland is the parochialism that we need to retain our current ridiculous number of senior clubs. Perhaps a top tier of 12 clubs made up of the 2 Old Firm, 1 Renfrew Team (St Mirren, Morton) 1 Ayrshire Team, 1 Dundee Team, 1 Borders team, 1 Lanarkshire Team, 1 other Glasgow team, and maybe at a push 1 Inverness team (the Dons could be a feeder team for them
) Maybe 2 from Edinburgh, and 1 from Fife. There's your franchise setup? The Stenhousemuirs can continue to play with attendances of 284 if they want, but not under the auspices of the SFL/SPL/SFA, etc. Shared academies / training facilities would also bring huge benefits and cost savings. People would however have to give up their 120 years of history, and amalgamate with their local rivals. It would be revolutionary, but the Inverness sides managed it. Maybe that would be the blueprint for other countries to follow? And before anyone accuses me of double standards I would gladly have Celtic merge with Rangers if it meant that Glasgow Utd would win the Champions League
(beating the Inverness Dons in the Final)
Bring back a 4 week winter shutdown, but have the Scottish based national team players attend a 3-week long training camp, instead of flying off to Spain for a week with Borders Utd.
Right - a'm away tae git blootered!