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There are lots of different elements to the discussion. Celtic's dominance is often cast up as an apparent example of how poor our league is but it's not like we're alone here in having a supremely dominant side. I mean what are we up to in Italy now? Seven successive Serie A titles for Juventus? It's been something like 5 out of the last 6 in France have been won by PSG, not to mention a treble this season. Porto and Benfica have carved it up between them both for about the last 20 years. Basel were only just pipped from making in 9 in succession in Switzerland. Despite what you are lead to believe things aren't significantly different in Scotland to a number of other European leagues in terms of dominance and predictability of winner. There is a whole separate debate to be had about the actual quality of the football on display in Scotland but for excitement, drama and at times sheer farce Scottish football is great. The league set up is such as that in every division you will generally have very few teams that don't have something to play for as you head towards the end of a season. The battle for second place and the European places and at the bottom end looks like it will be as competitive as ever. The Championship has about 4 or 5 teams that could realistically put in a challenge for promotion. There are lower league sides that historically have performed at higher levels like Airdrie and Clyde are positioning themselves for challenges to take a step back up and the likes of Cowdenbeath (and perhaps Hamilton to a lesser extent) doggedly defying the odds again and again to just stand still. There are stories of interest right, plots and sub-plots across all the divisions, you just sometimes have to get beyond the slavish devotion to the Old Firm that you get from a lot in the mainstream media to get a flavour of them. We also obviously suffer from the geographical proximity and the gulf in size compared to our southern neighbours. How many times have you been scoffed at by English fans for only having 4000 fans or whatever. The reality is of course is that per head of population our top division is one of the best supported in Europe. That us playing Celtic is the equivalent of somebody like Rochdale or Oldham making the FA Cup Final. But that doesn't make for as good a piss take does it and the "small fry" nature of our league gets reinforced time and time again. UEFA's influence? That's a bit more tricky. The money involved undoubtedly helps Celtic get further and further away with each passing season and it would be absolutely lovely if one of us were able to deny them a third successive treble. There is no doubt Europe can be a significant benefit to them. But by the same token the Champions League and Europa League's relevance to Scottish football almost seems to lessen each year. Few make it very far and at times it actually feels a bit like a World Cup or European Championship where because you've so little involvement after the early rounds that you can almost view it from a detatched perspective and enjoy the competitions for what they are. All things considered, I'm pretty comfortable with what Scottish football is all about. By God there's lots that can be improved upon, issues that need to be tackled and what not but following the League Cup draw the other night, the anticipation of new signings, new strips, new scoreboard and the announcement of friendlies to come my appetite has already been whetted for the new season to come.

20 quid and you can paint it on me Ayr United style.

More would be gained from asking the Currants and Gypsies to leave the league so we can rock up in early August with some hope we have a chance of competing for the league title a possibility opposed to it being crazy talk. Unfortunately the gulf just widens, something that UEFA has failed to address with the Champions League. As great as this season has been for us, I still find myself apathetic about 2018-19. Take heed from Formula 1, when it becomes a precession then it loses any attraction. It's evident by how many of the world's best supporters show up for a game midweek in February against Accies. It's an expensive season ticket when all you buy it for is 2 OF matches and first dibs on Euro tickets.

Christ, Andy_P, that's much too sensible. Looking at out football, we should never get out of bed if we didn't think we could win the league but we still do, right? I worked with an aged communist who, as a boy, saw us win the title in the 30s. He told me (I haven't checked it in the Motherwell Times or elsewhere yet) that gates were still low even then, despite consistent 2nd places and one title. We all know the dice are loaded within our football and in the MSM generally but do we fold up our tents and throw ourselves in the Clyde? In my lifetime we have never had a realistic chance of the title but I go along every year in hope of victories over the Ugly Sisters, some progression in our style and a cup run. Very few teams in Europe have ever had a realistic chance of a championship in their national leagues but so what? It's all about hope and loyalty in the face of dour reality, really, but I'm a thrawn old bastard and I'm not alone. COYW, forever.

I don't know if its a case of UEFA failing to address the gulf as much as actually creating the gulf, in large part.

There would be more conflict. The clubs look after their own interests, the SFA are responsible for the whole of the sport. Say they merge what happens with sponsorship? Who would decide what percentage goes to the senior clubs and what goes to women's and grassroots? The richest clubs already have a big influence at the SFA. If you officially merge them in they will end up completely dominating it to the detriment of every other part of the game.