[Teddy Bear]

Scottish football was plunged deeper into crisis on Tuesday when 10 non-Old Firm clubs announced that they are to resign from the nation's top league.
It means that Celtic and Rangers will be the only clubs left in the Scottish Premier League after a notice period of two seasons.

The dramatic news was announced at a media conference held by the 10 and followed a two-hour meeting between all the clubs at Hampden Park.

As yet Celtic and Rangers have not given their reaction to the events, which follow last week's blocking by them of plans for the league's own subscription-based television channel.


Celtic chief executive Ian McLeod and Rangers vice-chairman John McClelland had arrived together and said that they had no fresh proposals that might solve the impasse and acrimony between themselves and the other 10 clubs.

The two Glasgow clubs withdrew their support from the proposed league-owned, pay-per-view television channel at the eleventh hour, deeming the venture too much of a risk.

McLeod had said on entering the meeting: "Let's hope that common sense is going to prevail.

"We are going to look at a vision for Scottish football and we want to play an active part in that.

"There is no additional agenda and there is no additional deal on the table.

"We voted against the resolution last week because we didn't think it was financially viable.

"There are other resolutions on the table today and we want to take a constructive view of that in court."

McClelland said: "We are standing side by side.

"The dialogue today will hopefully be concluded with some plan to go forward."

Their decision had left the Scottish top flight without a pay TV deal for next season and the other 10 clubs now face an uncertain financial future.

The 10 other SPL clubs have voiced suspicions that the Glasgow giants have a hidden agenda, including a change in the rules to allow clubs to negotiate separate television deals and, in the longer term, quitting Scottish football to play in England.


Last week, Uefa chief executive Gerhard Aigner immediately dismissed the idea of the Old Firm jumping the border.

However, the Old Firm's stance over the SPL TV deal has driven a considerable wedge between them and the rest of the league.

Dunfermline Athletic chairman John Yorkston had been particularly vociferous about the possibility of the other clubs resigning and a BBC Five Live survey has revealed that fans of the other clubs in the SPL think they would be better off without the Old Firm.

"The best advice we have is we can do it and if that is a route we have to go down then it is one we will," said Yorkston.

Ibrox chairman David Murray broke the Old Firm's silence at the weekend when he admitted that it was the SPL as a whole who got it wrong when they snubbed an earlier offer from broadcasters BSkyB, reportedly worth £45m over four years.







Obviously calling the Old Firms bluff here, what will happen now?

 

[Badge]

well you can kiss Euro2008 away thats for sure. Uefa wont want to know yee.

 

[Teddy Bear]

yeh but i didnt think we had any chance of winning that anyway coz its a half arsed bid compared to the other ones on the table

 

[Badge]

The OF will now automatically qualify for the Champions League each and every year. Therefore they will get all the CL cash and be playing at the highest level possible. The other clubs can go off and sulk if they want!! Sounds ok by me

 

[cam]

Yes, & while the other clubs rejoin the football league, the league forms as was suggest in another topic here, while the GGG have to play each other every week. Some how I think the GGG will end up worse off. Playing each other will just destroy any credibility they once had.

Hurrah to the other 10 teams! I just heard the news on the radio in our 6th year common room, & myself & an Aberdeen fan rejoiced & cheered at the news. This will turn out to be the best thing to happen to Scottish football EVER.

And Badge, we never stood a chance at the Euro Champs, mainly because Ireland was too incompetent & would never have been able to organize it's way out of a door, never mind to get the required stadia, so don't go blaming the Scots you idiot

Though it was out inbred moronic polititians who got you involved anyway so it is their fault too.

I'll be back this evening, because I've got stuff too do. But well done to the 10!!!

 

[Badge]

curious considering you jocks came running to us for help in your bid. Also curious that our stadia involve 80+k seater and yours are not.

i wont stoopto personal insults like you since you're obvisouly just a kiddo

 

[Shed Boy]

This is the best news ever.
A reconstruction is now one the cards of the SFL and U think that this is the thing that should have happened years ago.

All i have heard from OF fans is that we are going to regret this, we are the ones that have played our cards and now it is the turn of the OF.

I now hope that the money grubbers go elsewhere and united never have to play them again.

 

[Badge]

but are'nt the gang of ten doing this for more money???

Bertie Vogts must be wondering what he's let himself in for

 

[Shed Boy]

Yes okay maybe it can be said that we are doing this for more money.

But it is like saying im looking for a job because it pays more than signing on.

We just want to be equally recognised in a league that we are in, people seem to forget that there is 12 teams in the league and it is really annoying, all you hear about is the 2 who are only there to fill their own pockets.

We want the chance to go it alone, as the OF were trying to jump along with any league that has game along.

The first move has been done by the other 10, this is doing EVERYONE a favour.

The money grubbers, as that is all they are, can move down to England where people will start to hate all the biggoted crap as well and we can have a competative league. I dont care if other people dont like the legue, because if this happens it will prove that they did not like the legue in the first place but only the OF was where their intrets lie. Attendences will rise for the other teams, and the div 1 teams will now get the chance to join a new top league with maybe a 16 team format and no stupid split.

 

[gildea]

"The other clubs can go off and sulk if they want!! Sounds ok by me"

Now I'm sure you are just trying to be positive but its a sahme when blind loyalty to a club makes you talk silly.

so basically you think the old firm having 6 cl games before they are knocked out + cup games is a good idea? Did you really think that idea through? You complain about the lack of competitiveness in the league dulling your european sharpness but even st johnstone provide more competition than no team at all (just barely!).

Its a very brave desicion by the ten and i hope they stand by it but i've a feeling they won't.

 

[Oldsocfan]

I am shocked by this! Without the two Old Firm clubs, I doubt the rest of the clubs can draw much attendance, or TV contracts for that matter.

 

[AMOROSO!]

OSF, this is Scotland we're talking about here. The fans will go to the stadium and watch football on TV no matter what. The Old Firm by being SO much better than the rest (cause of money) erased any kind of competition. The rest scottish teams want a competitive league and if this mean their league being less good so be it. Sure the contacts will be much poorer but the clubs wont need to spend much anyway and scottish players will get developed. Most of the money was snatched by Celtic and Rangers anyway.

 

[Oldsocfan]

I agree. For years, Rangers and Celtic have been keeping themselves so much better than the rest that the league has become unhealthy as far as competition goes. It's just sad to see that matches at Old Firm often attract 45,000+ while for the rest, may be 10, 15K people will show up.

 

[AMOROSO!]

I even believe attendances might rise. Fans of Hearts or Aberdeen or Dundee United will now see their team fight for the championship, this would certainly attract them to the stadium. Scotland doesnt need good football to attract fans, they need competitive football. The fans are already there.

Thats my take at least.

 

[JuveBhoy]

Ok, its obviously the other 10 qho make up the number(barely) trying to gang up against the old firm. ican see why they are doing it, but its them who are GREEDY. the ENTIRE league attendances aside from the old firm dont even come close to matching the attendances of ONE of the old firm. this is the reason why the old firm get an 'unfair' vote weighting. if the league goes titsup, then a LOT more people are affected on the the old firm side. Livvy is the only side ill miss as they at least have ambition. they will attack against the old firm.

im really excited thinking about the nationwide league, but deep down i know the FVCKING [email protected] at UEFA will fvck us over as usual. i really hate uefa, they control football to how THEY want. the big 5 get everything and everyone else, they dont care about. UEFA has cuased the demise in all the lesser leagues by the CL restructure where non CHAMPIONS get in!!!

ITV digital could be a blessing for us, the OF, as surely if we dont resign from the league Ubast..EFA wont let us play a 2 team league! if the nationwide want us, which i tihnk they do, then if U..ardsEFA try to stop us, surely we can take them to the european courts over the right to trade within the EU. its european law, similar to my argument against why 2 foreigner rule cant be used, as within the EU we should be allowed free trade. an embargo by uefa (gildea, insert the proper economic term for me there) would be a breach of EU Law, so long as the nationwide wanted us.

Aigner tried to argue that if it were allowed then swiss teams would want in france etc... but i think this is total bull, as monaco are allowed in french league. Scotland is part of britain after all, so its not ANYTHING like swiss playing in france. welsh are allowed in english league!

in theory, if we are wanted, there is nothing to stop us, the inportant point is where the old firm have the bottle to take UEFA to the european courts, which i hope they do if our path is attempted to be obstructed.

 

[gildea]

"i can see why they are doing it, but its them who are GREEDY. the ENTIRE league attendances aside from the old firm dont even come close to matching the attendances of ONE of the old firm. this is the reason why the old firm get an 'unfair' vote weighting. if the league goes titsup, then a LOT more people are affected on the the old firm side"

"im really excited thinking about the nationwide league, but deep down i know the FVCKING [email protected] at UEFA will fvck us over as usual. i really hate uefa, they control football to how THEY want. the big 5 get everything and everyone else, they dont care about."

Now lets play spot the irony.

Actually i don't think the OF get an unfair vote weighting all they do get thats unfair is 40% of all tv revenue. Its because a 11-1 majority is needed to pass a motion and the spl tv reached a 10-2 vote, hence not enough to be passed.

The reason the other clubs don't trust the old firm is the last time the tv deal was renegotiated the old firm had 35% and wanted 80% (!!!) this is about the time celtic started talking about moving with more seriousness eventually the 'settled' for 40%. I think clubs are worried that if they follow into the OF's deal then they'll eventually fix it so they get the 80% they want.

"ITV digital could be a blessing for us, the OF, as surely if we dont resign from the league Ubast..EFA wont let us play a 2 team league!"

ITV digital not currently being sued by the english 1st division though cause they have defuncted on their contract?

 

[Badge]

I took a very quick glimpse at a game on Sky last saturday. Was it St Johnstone against Dundee Utd?? Is that your brave new world?? How many were at the game to the nearset 10? The footy was total pish too. I suppose thats the OF's fault as well? Whoever said the crowds where there is wrong. The entire aggregate attendence of all games in Scotland on a weekend would not add up to the Celtic Park home game's attendence. I fail to see hwo turfing them out will suddenly bring everyone out in drives especially since the standard will not improve.

As an outsider though I have to say that in the next two years all the entertainment in Scotland will come off the pitch. Sad but true.

 

[cam]

Well I think you'll find that those who went to Parkhead or Ibrox once every couple of weeks either going without football, or travelling down to London. Even on away weeks the league attendances will improve.

And Saint Johnstone vs Dundee, well a game with nothing to play for, so if you thought one could be bothered with it your bloody idiotic. Relegated versus a bunch of foreigners who lack any degree of passion is really got to be a cracking game, isn't it Badge?

Plus, with Aberdeen, Hibs, Hearts, Livvy, Dunfermline et al all with a realistic chance of winning the league, the glory hunters who currently support one member of the GGG will go & watch who ever is winning the league this week.

And I'd rather rather have an average league which is competitive than an average league which is not. The GGG add nothing to the quality of the game, probably do more harm actually.

 

[Badge]

so when the OF go off somewhere else all the rest will be up there at the top vying for the league and that there'll be no mid table and relegated teams any more? Idiot

 

[Badge]

and there'll be even less cash

http://www.soccernet.com/scotland/news/2002/0417/20020417splitbbc.html

anyone who thinks there's money in Pay TV football is deluding themselves. See the demise of Kirchsport and ITV Digital for proof of that.