CoF Posted October 20, 2010 Report Share Posted October 20, 2010 if we vote for this we're off our heads. ending up 7th by a point or two after 26 games would be a hammerblow to the club. hopefully the well show a bit of savvy vote against this. Is that what the propsal is though? I was under the impression they had a few different structures in mind. I'm starting to think it doesn't matter anyway. Whatever is proposed or changed probably isn't going to address the fact that people are being well and truly priced out the game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yoshi-1991 Posted October 20, 2010 Report Share Posted October 20, 2010 i have thought long and hard about this, and i cant see a reconstruction benifiting us in any way, we would quite clearly loose gate money, i mean seriously what would you rather pay out for, a game against the old firm or a game against say dundee ( if they exist by then), and not just that but the away support they bring makes a big difference, also means we need to share out the tv money between more clubs, so i realy cant see where this would benifit us in any shape or form. what scottish football needs is a big investor, people to pump money into the clubs, the better the clubs the better the tv deals we will get which results in more money which resluts in better clubs which results in better tv deals and so on. the problem is no one wants to invest in a sinking ship, which inevitably scotish football is at the moment. so for now i would leave the reconstruction and come back to it in a few years time IF and thats a very big if, scotish football is finatualy stable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madwullie Posted October 20, 2010 Report Share Posted October 20, 2010 We need more promotion / relegation slots in and out of the SPL, and thanks to the ridiculous 11-1 voting system that's in place, 14 teams, play twice split 6-8 is the only way to achieve it and keep the moneymen happy. For this reason I'm all for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brazilian Posted October 20, 2010 Report Share Posted October 20, 2010 official site clicky Club Statement Wednesday, 20 October 2010 Motherwell FC on the SPL Strategy Review & McLeish Report Process The Board of Motherwell FC has reviewed the draft strategies and ideas being put forward from both the SPL and the McLeish review process. We will listen to the thoughts and views of our fans before reaching a final position and will consider the package of all measures in the round. Our agreed position as a Board going into the debates and negotiations is as follows: •We urge all Clubs and participants in the debate to act in the long term interests of the sustainable development of football in Scotland as a whole. While it is tempting to have as our core driver the narrow interests of our own Club in the short and medium term – because it makes decisions easier – we believe that such an approach is ultimately to the detriment of all including Motherwell FC. •It is fair to assert that the sport enjoys proportionately greater support from the Scottish population and society than in any other country. Given this, the wider evidence we believe is unequivocal: Scotland is massively underperforming our potential in football both commercially and in sporting terms. •As a result we believe that everyone with the future of the game at heart has to conclude that ‘no change’ is no option. •We recognise that the historic evolution of the structure of football has ensured for too long that there is a blockage on reform and improvement from vested interests almost baked-in to the constitution of the game. That said we recognise the groundswell for change and will do all we can to support those taking leadership positions, including the leadership of the SPL with our fellow member clubs. •Our priority for reforms will be behind those fundamental and substantial measures that stand a chance of arresting the decline in average attendances, commercial performance and sporting achievement at a club and national team level. •Our number one priority would be the introduction of a substantial ‘winter-break’ and a Spring/early Summer start to the football calendar. The commercial, practical and cultural advantages of this we believe are compelling. We also support innovations around the timing of games throughout the week to secure maximum attendance, new audiences and commercial advantage. •We remain open-minded on league and cup structure and will test any model against its ability to grow interest and active support for the game on a sustainable commercial basis. We believe it is critical for models to be found that allow ambitious clubs to move up through the league ranks and for underperforming clubs to take the opposite route through all levels of the game. •We are fully supportive and urge moves to streamline the governance structure of the game in Scotland. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Diggle Posted October 20, 2010 Report Share Posted October 20, 2010 Excellent staement. What a few of us have been saying for a while. Change for the good of the overall game - not whether we'll be in trouble if we dont make the top 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaag Posted October 20, 2010 Report Share Posted October 20, 2010 Agreed. Excellent standpoint from the club. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steelboy Posted October 20, 2010 Report Share Posted October 20, 2010 so we want summer football and a pyramid structure but are staying vague on league reconstruction. if leeann is on here could she tell us what dates she see this summer season running between? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rickoza Posted October 20, 2010 Report Share Posted October 20, 2010 Club has it right. Couldn't agree more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brazilian Posted October 20, 2010 Report Share Posted October 20, 2010 I cannot say, I see the club having it right with that statement far too vague with the details to say so although it a sound enough statement at this early? stage winter shutdown - earlier start to season, really need clarified to to declare if it would be good or bad for Scottish football e.g would we lose the holiday games, boxing day/ ne'er day if so imho I reckon that completely contradicts the need for better timing of games to increase average gates I understand bigger picture re- match timings and to me thats as good a point to challenge as any Good positive stuff however, just think its a bit early to declare a solution and as for the proposed structure released elsewhere, with another completely unsporting and unfair split Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kmcalpin Posted October 20, 2010 Report Share Posted October 20, 2010 if we vote for this we're off our heads. ending up 7th by a point or two after 26 games would be a hammerblow to the club. hopefully the well show a bit of savvy vote against this. I'm with you on this Steelboy. An expansion to 14 teams with 2 up and 2 down is acceptable in theory book but thats where it ends. I don't like play offs though. Would they introduce play offs for the SPL Championship? I'm not in favour of a split at all. You're right, effectively a team's season could grind to a premature halt after only 26 games - that can't be right surely. In February, you could easily with a mid table cluster of say 4/5 teams only a point or two apart when the cut off came into force and then Euro hopes are dashed prematurely. Credit to the club for issuing a statement on the McLeish report and I agree about season breaks and summer football and certainly KO times. Like Brazilian I think its a bit vague though for us to comment in detail, but I suspect coded language is being used. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burn_Broomfield Posted October 20, 2010 Report Share Posted October 20, 2010 Excellent and refreshing statement from the Club. My main fear is that we will be the 1 when the votes are cast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
'Wellfan 2k7 Posted October 20, 2010 Report Share Posted October 20, 2010 I cannot say, I see the club having it right with that statement winter shutdown - earlier start to season, really need clarified to to declare if it would be good or bad for Scottish football e.g would we lose the holiday games, boxing day/ ne'er day if so imho I reckon that completely contradicts the need for better timing of games to increase average gates Well, Sure we'd lose out on going to a cold stadium the day after the night before TWICE in a week. But instead we'd have Football in more enjoyable, warmer and more comfortable atmospheres. In my opinion, Summer Football would be great, but it would only be really successful every odd year because of major tournaments like the world Cup or the Euros. If Scotland reached one of said competitions then that would be one hell of an international break and would force the season into the winter anyway. - Saying that, if there was no international breaks, all the scotland players wouldn't represent their respective clubs and would give the other 12 teams in the league an advantage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weeyin Posted October 20, 2010 Report Share Posted October 20, 2010 Maybe not directly comparable, but apparently when the Irish switched to summer football there was zero increase in attendences. Of course, it will be more pleasant to some, but it didn't affect the financials. Personally, I'd prefer to keep it a winter game (with a shutdown), but to have terracing so you can walk about if it gets nippy. I never felt really cold when I was standing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brazilian Posted October 20, 2010 Report Share Posted October 20, 2010 Maybe not directly comparable, but apparently when the Irish switched to summer football there was zero increase in attendences. Of course, it will be more pleasant to some, but it didn't affect the financials. Personally, I'd prefer to keep it a winter game (with a shutdown), but to have terracing so you can walk about if it gets nippy. I never felt really cold when I was standing. That might be the very key to Scottish football halting the slide in attendances let folk stand when the grounds are half empty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Modernist Posted October 20, 2010 Report Share Posted October 20, 2010 Like the statement from the club myself. Fair play to them. Weeyin, not sure, but is Fitba not a minority sport in Ireland ? Thought Gaelic football was the in/big thing over there myself........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weeyin Posted October 20, 2010 Report Share Posted October 20, 2010 Like the statement from the club myself. Fair play to them. Weeyin, not sure, but is Fitba not a minority sport in Ireland ? Thought Gaelic football was the in/big thing over there myself........ It is definitely a minority sport, but I think that was one of the reasons they tried to revamp it a few years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
numpty Posted October 20, 2010 Report Share Posted October 20, 2010 Maybe not directly comparable, but apparently when the Irish switched to summer football there was zero increase in attendences. Of course, it will be more pleasant to some, but it didn't affect the financials. It's true that the attendances haven't increased, but the performance of Irish clubs in Europe has fairly noticeably improved since the switch in 2003. Of course, they primarily play the games on Friday nights here, so as not to clash with the GAA games on Saturdays and Sundays. And it's always going to be a bit of a struggle to get more people to turn out on a Friday night in a country where most of the population lives in the pub on a Friday night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delboy Posted October 21, 2010 Report Share Posted October 21, 2010 most of what the club said is 'mission' statement posturing the things that stand out for me are wanting to play football during the summer so they get more games on the TV as the English leagues would be playing also games scattered throughout the week again so that the broadcaster have something to show (if the SPL is a little bit bigger they'll have more games to move around) the fans who go to the games don't seem to matter anymore it's all about sell a product to the tv stations so it can be wall paper in a half empty pub on a tuesday night, then again that where the money is nowadays Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmmfc Posted October 21, 2010 Report Share Posted October 21, 2010 It'll be interesting to hear the ideas about league reconstruction and the timings of summer football. Personally, I enjoy the Christmas and New Year period we have currently and I don't really think the winter period causes many problems in our country (granted last season was a bit of an exception). In addition, during the summer, we'd have to deal with the loss of gate money over the school holidays amongst other things, however, I'm sure they'll consider this when it comes to making a decision. In my opinion, all we have to do currently is change the relegation/promotion criteria to 3 up and 3 down. That way, after the split, all the teams in the bottom 6 will likely be in a relegation battle, therefore creating more meaningful matches. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madwullie Posted October 21, 2010 Report Share Posted October 21, 2010 In a 12 team league you are never going to get the teams to vote 11-1 in favour of 25% relegation. Add a play off to the current system (unlikely to be voted for) or 14 teams with a 6-8, 2 up 2 down are the only realistic options imo. Obviously we'd all rather have 16 or 18 teams in the top tier, but those would never be voted through by the moneymen so are complete non-starters. FWIW I think the split is an excellent addition to the format, and a play off would be even better. They both mean that for the majority of the season the majority of games mean something, which couldn't be said for an 18, or even 16 team league. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cambo97 Posted October 21, 2010 Report Share Posted October 21, 2010 In a 12 team league you are never going to get the teams to vote 11-1 in favour of 25% relegation. Add a play off to the current system (unlikely to be voted for) or 14 teams with a 6-8, 2 up 2 down are the only realistic options imo. Obviously we'd all rather have 16 or 18 teams in the top tier, but those would never be voted through by the moneymen so are complete non-starters. FWIW I think the split is an excellent addition to the format, and a play off would be even better. They both mean that for the majority of the season the majority of games mean something, which couldn't be said for an 18, or even 16 team league. Why not just make the league a cup competition, that way the top two would play in a League decider every year. Play offs are a joke they don't reward teams with the best record throughout the year. Last season Blackpool finished 6th in the championship but got promoted above the teams in 3rd, 4th and 5th despite not being as good as them over the season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Diggle Posted October 21, 2010 Report Share Posted October 21, 2010 I can't believe so many think - what we have is as good is it ever will get. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madwullie Posted October 21, 2010 Report Share Posted October 21, 2010 Why not just make the league a cup competition, that way the top two would play in a League decider every year. Play offs are a joke they don't reward teams with the best record throughout the year. Last season Blackpool finished 6th in the championship but got promoted above the teams in 3rd, 4th and 5th despite not being as good as them over the season. They are a money spinner, would be attractive to TV companies (which is vital whether us punters like it or not) and especially in the situation we're in now, with 1 up 1 down would offer some potential relief to the 3 or 4 clubs who are wasting away in the top end of the SFL. Also, teams in the SPL are more likely to vote for a play off over automatic relegation spot as in Scotland these have traditionally involved the equivalent of 11th in the SPL. Blackpool had to beat one of those teams over two legs and then win a Wembley final. I'm certain that the Championship teams would rather see the continuation of the play off system than it to be scrapped for one more automatic promotion slot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmo Posted October 21, 2010 Report Share Posted October 21, 2010 Play offs are a joke they don't reward teams with the best record throughout the year. Last season Blackpool finished 6th in the championship but got promoted above the teams in 3rd, 4th and 5th despite not being as good as them over the season. Play offs provide excitment and as far as I can see Blackpool seem to be holding there own in the EPL and are putting on some really good displays. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weeyin Posted October 21, 2010 Report Share Posted October 21, 2010 Play-offs are, indeed, a joke. The entire point of a league system is to reward consistency over a season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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