Scottish football.

[Oldsmobile-88]

Looking at that 1st Division table most of the top 10 that formed the first SPL are the same as the SPL this season(12 clubs these days)
Ayr United stand out as one of the founding members.
That would have been around the Ally MacLeod era.

I expect the pressure for the smaller league came from the big two.
A couple of guaranteed sell outs(70-80,000) each season..Though ironically because both grounds came under the Safety at Sports Grounds Act(1975)which was a direct result of the Ibrox disaster in 1971,those huge crowds were cut back a bit.

Not great crowds at Ibrox or Celtic Pk in those days playing some of the lesser lights.

 

[Oldsmobile-88]

On BBC Scotland tonight at 7pm.
The story of the Scottish 1978 World Cup campaign.
I have seen it before.it’s well worth a watch.
It will be available on the iplayer I expect.

 

[DB9]

On BBC Scotland tonight at 7pm.
The story of the Scottish 1978 World Cup campaign.
I have seen it before.it’s well worth a watch.
It will be available on the iplayer I expect.

Watched that too, Amazing how the Scotland team and nation really thought they were just going to turn up and win in Argentina

 

[Oldsmobile-88]

Watched that too, Amazing how the Scotland team and nation really thought they were just going to turn up and win in Argentina

Willy Johnstone being sent home.A bit of a character.
I recall he had to be rescued from a rowing boat that drifted out to sea off the west coast of Scotland after he got into it drunk during a pre World Cup get together.

The forgotten story of ... Willie Johnston

Scott Murray: Sent home from Argentina ‘78 and escorted from the pitch at gunpoint — the silky left winger will be remembered for all the wrong reasons

www.theguardian.com

 

[Jason H]

Personally speaking I think more interest would be generated in Scottish football if the leagues were revised again and they had 2 leagues, a Prem and a 1st Division and each team played each other twice instead of a million times a season like they do now. I just can't help thinking how boring it would be if League 2 for example consisted of just 10 or 12 clubs.

Maybe a compromise and go back to three levels. What you would gain in fewer matches between sides (which I fully get your point about and agree) you may lose in mismatches as it's a bit of a cliff edge there, as borne out by the lack of real movement in the leagues as per the league table above.

It would seem like there's a fair few sides playing just below league level that could augment the league so it has, say, 60 teams meaning three leagues of 20?

 

[Oldsmobile-88]

The big problem with the Scottish Leagues is the lack of interest from TV broadcasting bar the old firm.
This is reflected in sponsorship money.
I don’t know what the season TV payment is for clubs outside the top 10,but I would imagine it’s nowhere near to the the consolation payments that L2 clubs get from the PL.
The Scottish SPL turned down a TV deal from Sky a few years ago.
No one else was interested so they went back to Sky cap in hand.
As is the want in business in that scenario,they were offered a inferior deal from the original one offered,that they then accepted.

 

[DB9]

The big problem with the Scottish Leagues is the lack of interest from TV broadcasting bar the old firm.
This is reflected in sponsorship money.
I don’t know what the season TV payment is for clubs outside the top 10,but I would imagine it’s nowhere near to the the consolation payments that L2 clubs get from the PL.
The Scottish SPL turned down a TV deal from Sky a few years ago.
No one else was interested so they went back to Sky cap in hand.
As is the want in business in that scenario,they were offered a inferior deal from the original one offered,that they then accepted.

I did hear couple seasons back that Celtic got £3m from TV money for winning the SPL, Compare that for a relegated PL side who get £160m plus parachute payments for a few seasons after they go down, I'd imagine the Championship sides near the top get more than the £3m that Celtic does

 

[Oldsmobile-88]

I did hear couple seasons back that Celtic got £3m from TV money for winning the SPL, Compare that for a relegated PL side who get £160m plus parachute payments for a few seasons after they go down, I'd imagine the Championship sides near the top get more than the £3m that Celtic does

Yeovil got £3m TV share when they were in the Championship in 13/14.That was the base figure.
The bigger teams no doubt got a lot more.
There have been a couple of more lucrative TV deals since then.The Championship clubs have kept bigger slice for themselves & I would imagine it’s a £5m minimum now.

 

[Jason H]

The reason why it's such a big problem is that outside the Old Firm there's little interest amongst the viewing populace, and even with the Old Firm it's a pretty niche market. I remember when Setanta got Conference screening rights our match against York attracted their then record viewing figures, beating an Old Firm match into second place.

I'm quite happy to watch Scottish Football on TV, but then in a sad sort of way I like watching most levels of British Football (I'll sometimes watch the Welsh stuff on S4C although it seems they no longer have an English commentary option). Yet I rarely watch any of the stuff from France, Germany, Italy etc. that I also have access to via BT Sport.

 

[Oldsmobile-88]

A collectors item last night.Fort William won a away game in the Highland League for the first time since Sept 2016.
A single goal win at Clachnacuddin.
The game was played at Inverness rugby club after a fire in Clachs clubhouse put the dressing rooms out of action.