Spl 2?

[danhatfield1993]

A couple of years ago it was reported that the SPL 2 would come in to effect this year but nothings happened. So do you know if the SPL 2 will ever happen now or have they scrathed it off?

[Gordon EF]

A couple of years ago it was reported that the SPL 2 would come in to effect this year but nothings happened. So do you know if the SPL 2 will ever happen now or have they scrathed it off?

Nothings's set to happen at the moment, I think some people still talk about it but it's a stupid idea.

[st mirren till i die]

Hopefully it's dead in the water, all the SPL has managed to achieve in the past decade is increase everyone's debt substantially.

[YankHibee]

Hibs don't have debt.

[st mirren till i die]

Hibs don't have debt.
yes they do, to the tune of around 7 million.

[frasermc]

Hopefully it's dead in the water, all the SPL has managed to achieve in the past decade is increase everyone's debt substantially.

our debt has decreased. :)

although in saying that, it has nothing do with the SPL decreasing it.

[Teso Dos Bichos]

Nothings's set to happen at the moment, I think some people still talk about it but it's a stupid idea.

Tell that to the fans of the clubs that will go to the way of Gretna without it. The morons in charge of the SFL have a lot to answer for. They way things are going we will have the SPL and then a handful of part-time clubs. It is a national disgrace.

[YankHibee]

yes they do, to the tune of around 7 million.


The books are at least balanced. A 1.5 mill profit was posted last year. The stand has been delayed a bit and so forth, but the financial situation is pretty sound.

[Red Sky]

Article in the Daily Mail (under headline DO LESBIAN MIGRANTS CAUSE HOUSE PRICES CRASH IN SPL2?) :rolleyes: today saying that there's likely to be a court judgement on or about December 10th that could set the ball rolling for a two-tier SPL by next season.

[danhatfield1993]

Article in the Daily Mail (under headline DO LESBIAN MIGRANTS CAUSE HOUSE PRICES CRASH IN SPL2?) :rolleyes: today saying that there's likely to be a court judgement on or about December 10th that could set the ball rolling for a two-tier SPL by next season.
You Wouldnt Know a link for it on the website would you ?

[Gordon EF]

Tell that to the fans of the clubs that will go to the way of Gretna without it. The morons in charge of the SFL have a lot to answer for. They way things are going we will have the SPL and then a handful of part-time clubs. It is a national disgrace.

Maybe we could make an SPL 3 out of the existing 2nd division,

[danhatfield1993]

Could someone just explain to me how the SPL 1 And 2 would work, like how many clubs in it, relegation + promotion etc please ? :D

[st mirren till i die]

Could someone just explain to me how the SPL 1 And 2 would work, like how many clubs in it, relegation + promotion etc please ? :D

Promotion and relegation will be subject to approval by the clique, teams will have to be well liked and have greased the appropriate palms. Chairmen will also be vetted and will receive extra points for displaying ruthless self-interest.

The massive cost of upgrading grounds, running full time first teams/reserves/u19s will be subsidised by massive high interest bank loans, shaky TV deals and ridiculous ticket prices.

Scottish Football will be bankrupt within an estimated 10 years, by which time they will look to join the English FA as part of a regional system.

[Teso Dos Bichos]

You have just described the current league structure. Still the free can of Irn Bru for each squad member was a nice touch this season. Who needs money and TV deals when you have the Bru?

[st mirren till i die]

You have just described the current league structure. Still the free can of Irn Bru for each squad member was a nice touch this season. Who needs money and TV deals when you have the Bru?

Oh the entire league system is broken, don't get me wrong, but do you really think closing SFL1 and rebranding it to SPL2 is going to improve the fortunes of the Scottish game?

The SPL itself struggles to get a TV deal, the deal it has consists of one game per week featuring Rangers or Celtic and a travesty of a highlights package. Seriously who is going to buy the rights to broadcast SPL2 games when Setanta can't even be bothered to cover the top flight properly.

Plus look at the average attendances, how is it possible for clubs who draw in between 1-3000 punters a fortnight to support full time football with all the extra expense of the rules they've set for themselves (all seater grounds, reserves and youth teams, pitch protection etc.).

Full time football is a fallacy for must clubs in Scotland, the city clubs and a handful of the larger town teams can do it, for the rest it's a needless expense.

Promotion and Relegation... it isn't even going to be two up/down from the SPL to SPL2. The whole plan reeks of protectionism and self preservation.

Why not take the opportunity of the current recession and restructure the entirity of the Scottish league from the grassroots up with a proper pyramid encompasing the Highland League, Juniors, SoS/EoS, SFL and SPL. Get back to the majority of teams operating on a P/T basis, slash associated costs for running clubs, wages, ticket prices etc. and let the chips fall where they may.

Scotland will never compete with larger European nations, we can't afford to sign 'quality' players, foreign imports, operate large squads, have fancy stadiums. They way folk like Lex Gold talk you'd think that the SPL is some sort of magical money printing machine, it's nothing of the sort.

It's also interesting that the main players in pushing SPL2 are... St. Johnstone, Partick, Dundee, Livingston, Dunfermline. All clubs who tried to live beyond their means, spent wildly and now see SPL2 as their only hope of becoming relevant again.

[Teso Dos Bichos]

Promotion and Relegation... it isn't even going to be two up/down from the SPL to SPL2. The whole plan reeks of protectionism and self preservation.

Can you honestly blame SPL clubs for voting for self preservation? Dropping into the SFL can kill a club because the league system is so badly run with practically zero money available. If you have an SPL 1 and 2 created then not only do you generate additional interest but you also create a far more attractive safety net for those that get relegated. Do that and you will eventually see the SPL opening up more. I do not see a true pyramid structure working in Scotland with the current state of our game. What we need to do is have two leagues and get things sorted out both on and off the pitch. Once we have that stability then we can look to a pyramid structure. There is little point in opening things up now because no-one wants to get involved in the shite we currently have. Amateur clubs are better off where they currently are and better run (both clubs and league).

[Gordon EF]

Can you honestly blame SPL clubs for voting for self preservation?

Yes. The less competitive the game is in this country (anywhere infact) the worse it is. 'Self-protection' in football leads to uncompetitive, boring football.


Dropping into the SFL can kill a club because the league system is so badly run with practically zero money available.

Name one club which has died becasue they've been relegated to the 1st division.


If you have an SPL 1 and 2 created then not only do you generate additional interest

lol, you think more people will come out and support Livi or Clyde because they're playing in SPL 2 as oppsed to the 1st divisiion. As I said before, why not rebrand the 4 leagues, SPL 1,2,3 and 4 if it was that simple.


Do that and you will eventually see the SPL opening up more.

The SPL as an actual competition is dead.


What we need to do is have two leagues and get things sorted out both on and off the pitch.

The secondpart of this statement is an utterly useless platitude, why would the first aprt make any sense?


There is little point in opening things up now because no-one wants to get involved in the shite we currently have. Amateur clubs are better off where they currently are and better run (both clubs and league).

Firstly, most non-league clubs are not amateur, secondly, almost all would like a crack at getting into the league set-up.

[Teso Dos Bichos]

Yes. The less competitive the game is in this country (anywhere infact) the worse it is. 'Self-protection' in football leads to uncompetitive, boring football.

We are not discussing how competitive the game is. We are discussing the surival of teams.

Name one club which has died becasue they've been relegated to the 1st division.

We are discussing the present. The current financial situation in general and in the SFL in particular is not something clubs have faced in the past.

lol, you think more people will come out and support Livi or Clyde because they're playing in SPL 2 as oppsed to the 1st divisiion. As I said before, why not rebrand the 4 leagues, SPL 1,2,3 and 4 if it was that simple.

Our interest increased as we rose through the leagues, peaking during our time in the SPL, and has now fallen again to our core support. Change almost always generates interest. We are talking about a structure that will reward teams and fans instead of the current possibly up/down situation and playing the same small group of teams each and every season. Not only will you attract old fans back but it increases the chances of generating additional interest in clubs. If you honestly believe that SP2 is simply an exercise in rebranding then know little about it. The abject financial situation in the SLF is the driving force behind the change.

The SPL as an actual competition is dead.

Which is why it will eventually open up but only when the conditions are right for the clubs currently in it.

The secondpart of this statement is an utterly useless platitude, why would the first aprt make any sense?

Don't be ridiculous. If you cannot be bothered to discuss the topic sensibly then don't bother at all. I can only assume the standing of your club and the impact SFL2 might have on it is the real reasoning behind your post.

Firstly, most non-league clubs are not amateur, secondly, almost all would like a crack at getting into the league set-up.

Clubs outside the SPL/SFL generally want in for two reasons. These are money and progression. The first reason is obvious while the second incorporates growth of the club, a new challenge, etc. At the moment there is little money in the SFL, it is not a place for a club to grow and there is little difference between the best non-league clubs and the worst SFL clubs. As I said initially there is no point in opening things up until the fundamental problems are sorted.

[Gordon EF]

We are not discussing how competitive the game is. We are discussing the surival of teams.

You brought up self-protection. I said that self-protection makes for boring, uncompetitive football. Therefore I can blame clubs for self-protection.



We are discussing the present. The current financial situation in general and in the SFL in particular is not something clubs have faced in the past.

I can only assume the standing of your club and the impact SFL2 might not have on it is the real reasoning behind your post.



Our interest increased as we rose through the leagues, peaking during our time in the SPL, and has now fallen again to our core support. Change almost always generates interest.

Did a change from SPL to 1st division generate interest?




Which is why it will eventually open up but only when the conditions are right for the clubs currently in it.

Eh? That doesn't make any sense. Why would the current totaly boredom of the SPL lead to the opening up of the league. Self-protection and greed have been the nails in the coffin of the Scottish game.



Don't be ridiculous. If you cannot be bothered to discuss the topic sensibly then don't bother at all. I can only assume the standing of your club and the impact SFL2 might have on it is the real reasoning behind your post.

I'm being sensible and serious. My club is in a far more stable position than "your" "club". And by "your" "club" I mean Livi, not Man Utd.



Clubs outside the SPL/SFL generally want in for two reasons. These are money and progression. The first reason is obvious while the second incorporates growth of the club, a new challenge, etc.

The fact that you think it's the first reason that's obvious speaks volumes.


there is little difference between the best non-league clubs and the worst SFL clubs. .

Has there ever been a significant difference?

[Teso Dos Bichos]

You brought up self-protection. I said that self-protection makes for boring, uncompetitive football. Therefore I can blame clubs for self-protection.

Again, we are not discussing competitiveness. It is a separate issue entirely and if you wish to discuss it then start a new thread.

I can only assume the standing of your club and the impact SFL2 might not have on it is the real reasoning behind your post.

I bet it took you two seconds to come up with that stunning response. Pity it has no basis in reality and does nothing to further the discussion. Your club is East Fife and whether you would even be involved in SPL 2 or not remains to be seen. It is therefore entirely relevant to take that into account when considering the motivation behind your negative posts and attacks to date.

Did a change from SPL to 1st division generate interest?

Cutting the context in order to create another attack does not reflect well on you.

Eh? That doesn't make any sense. Why would the current totaly boredom of the SPL lead to the opening up of the league. Self-protection and greed have been the nails in the coffin of the Scottish game.

Congratulations on completely missing the point and managing to confuse two issues yet again. The protectionism in the SPL, and the creation of it in the first place, is because the SFL is so poorly run. Until the second tier of Scottish football is sorted out then there is no reason for clubs to open the SPL up. Create a viable SPL2 with a good structure and proper sponsorship and you will see a change. That is the fundamental issue. Your boredom issue is merely a by-product.

I'm being sensible and serious. My club is in a far more stable position than "your" "club". And by "your" "club" I mean Livi, not Man Utd.

Your club and my club are nothing alike. Perhaps when you have some experience of the top two divisions then you will understand the reasoning and need for an SPL2. I will ignore your latest irrelevant sniping.

The fact that you think it's the first reason that's obvious speaks volumes.

Try contributing in a mature manner Gordon.

Has there ever been a significant difference?

In recent years no but that has everything to do with the current problems in the SFL.

---

Cut the shite out and start contributing in a mature manner. If you are not capable of doing that then don't bother posting.