dinnae-punt-it

Are you talking about the lad that played once against St Mirren, that we signed from Junior football.........can't remember his name.......tall, dark hair........Martin Grehan. Came from Dundonald Bluebell.

Big Yin, you wouldn't be here if Fir Park was two teir, after your wee incident in the East Stand, which I believe was caught on camera if I remember correctly.

An interesting wee stadium........11000. Re-built stand by stand, while still in use. http://www.archdaily.com/380405/pasaron-stadium-acxt-arquitectos/ I know concrete would float everyone's boat, but like the scale of the interior.

My one worry with Samson is that he tends to get beat quite a lot from long range. He dived over the ball last week when he really should have saved it. I'm not convinced, but happy to give him a chance should we sign him.

Does anyone know if there is a live stream for the game today?

Hi Flow, The cost of a match is only one aspect that needs addressed. In my opinion the 10 team format is fatally flawed from an entertainment perspective. It only breeds fear, and teams shut up shop, desperate not to lose, hoping to nick a goal to win the game. It's dire to watch. It was tdire under it's previous formats and it will be again. I think all the clubs need to find a solution that ticks more boxes than just increased TV money. I think the whole supporting community is adamant that a 10 team league simply isn't what we want. - The 11/1 voting structure needs to be changed. - The distribution of wealth needs to be equal. - The number of games versus the same opposition needs to be reduced. - The number of governing bodies needs to be reduced and centralised - A play-off system for relegation should be introduced. - Increased playing facilities are required at grass roots level. - Improved coaching required at grass roots level similar to Holland. - The cost of football to the average fan needs to be addressed. Should be comparable to going to the cinema, with price dependant on the quality of the seat. - The amount of games televised needs to be reduced to boost attendances (Never going to happen I know) - Improved highlights package at a time when children can watch it. - A wage cap system introduced - Squad size & nationality limited, in a similar fashion to the EPL. - Power moved away from the players back to the clubs. - Positive promotion of the league from the media is required, rather than the constant bashing that currently goes on. If they hate it so much what do they think will fix it? Positive critismim, rather than just 'It's rubbish'. Lots of the games in the EPL are crap to watch, but all we ever hear is that their league is the best in the world. Pundits are talking themselves out of a job, constantly berating the SPL product. - Plan for longer term improvement rather than short term gain. - Listen to the consumer. - Communicate with the consumer. - Improve the standard of refereeing I could go on all night! Some are more realistic than others, but it is infinately more complex than just the cost of football. The product must be improved as a whole. Failure to improve the product will result in further decline, and ultimately the death of Scottish football. I compare it to the British Car Industry. They refused to modernise and improve their product resulting in them no longer being in existance. Scottish football will go the same way unless the powers that be start prioritising the quality of the product, by puting the consumer at the forefront! Scottish football needs Government level intervention to save it. Take the decision out of the hands of the clubs, as they only have self preservation at heart, not the betterment of Scottish Football. Rant over! Phew

Signed!

Short term pain for long term gain....the loss in revenue that is, no?

Leeann, I know that you read the boards, so I would be very grateful if you could justify the 'Steering Groups' promotions of a 10 team SPL. You have made a big point of calling Motherwell F.C. 'Scotland's Community Club', so why have MFC, through your involvement in the 'Steering Group', given support for a 10 team SPL? I am not having a go, but I would appreciate your views and opinions on why you think a 10 team SPL is good for Scottish Football and its supporters. I truely hope that you are able to respond, because as a valued member of the Motherwell F.C community, I feel it would be beneficial for all our supporters to be kept informed of the reasons & justification given for our clubs support of this league format. Would it be possible for one of the Moderators to pin this to the top of the forum, so that it doesn't get lost in amongst the other topics?

Do you think too many historical mistakes have been made to ever get back to something that works for all, not just the big two and the other 10 hanger ons?

I didn't know the reason, thanks for filling me in!

Why was it changed then?

How do you propose to organise a 16 team league? Play each other twice? 30 Games? Hmmmm

So when we last had an 18 team league..........was it any good?!?!?!

I think it would be great, but your probably right, too big a change I guess.

Some good points in there Tweed!

I didn't say we cannot sustain a 16 team league. I said we cannot sustain a 16 team league with the current number of professional teams in Scotland! SuperCC may be 100% right. The stranglehold of the Old Firm may be the biggest problem we face. The number of supposed Ranger or Celtic supporters that don't actually go to games is disgusting. I lived in Holland for a while, and he is right. Most people supported the team of their town/city! How can that supported trend be reversed? I don't have the answers? I simply don't think just increasing the size of the league will change anything on its own! Maybe it just can't be fixed, as the 'Big Two' have killed it.

Tell me this, how do you expect a country the size of Scotland to sustain a 16-18 team league? Countries the size of Spain, England & Itlay currently opperate with 20 team leagues, but these countries are massive in terms of population. We simply cannot sustain a 16-18 team league, with the current number of teams we have in Scotland. Some have got to go out of business or be merged for that approach to be a success!

It not a factor which is going to change Scottish Football. Band aid for a bullet wound!

Your missing the point. Your saying you would rather watch rubbish twice a season rather than 4-6 times a season. I would rather watch good competative attacking football, with players with great technique and vision. I'm not having a go at you, but I think your attitude is what is wrong with scottish football. We need something far more radical in order to save scottish football. Do you really think I am that wrong in what I'm advocating?

I think that is exactly the type of short-termism that has resulted in Scottish Football being what it is! Crap. It's just my opinion, but I just think that attitude is all wrong! To move away from football......look at what happened to Rover. They refused to modernise and revolutionise.....the end result being that they no longer exist!

Playing dundeeUfuckinited 2 times a season doesn't mean that the prodct will be any better, it still the same two very ordinary team playing each other that it was when it was 4-6 times a season. In my opinion the number of teams in Scotland as a whole is the major problem, not the number of teams or games vs each other in the current set up.

You know what, 10, 12, 14, 16 or 18 teams changes nothing. You can dress it up anyway you want, but the product will remain exactly the same, in fact potentially an 18 team league would only excacerbate the dominance of the 'Big Two'. Scottish football needs radically re-built from the bottom up. But what are the real issues? The argument that the dominance of the 'Big Two' detracts from the quility of the league may not ring true. Look at the EPL, only 3-4 teams can realistically win that league out of 20. That is the exact same ratio as 2 teams dominating 10 teams. So having a realistic chance of winning anything doesn't seem to curtail the English, Spanish or Italian leagues. What sets those leagues apart is primarily the size of the country, as it enables larger support, which equals more revenue, which means bigger stadia, bigger wage structures and ultimatley better football. Is Scotland now just too small to support the number of professional teams. Maybe the implosion of Scottish football would be the best thing that ever happened, as the number of teams that re-form, when and if it is re-built, could be limited, thus strenghtening the support base of the new teams, resulting in increased revenue, better/bigger stadia and a bigger wage structure......thus generating a better product. I truely believe Scottish football needs something much more radical than the number of teams in the league, to enable it to be re-born as a product which suits all involved and make Scottish Footbal stronger as a whole. Perhaps a bigger amature set up similar to Germany would suit our league structure, with pro clubs limited to no more than say 20? So......back to my original point, the size of the league changes absolutly hee haw. Much more radical re-thinking is required, but it wont happen as the powers that be are only concerned with self preservation! No body has the guts to rip it all up and start again. Maybe we could do worse than look at the american system where the players are owned by the league, and that the team that finishes bottom gets 1st pick from the draft next year, meaning that no team can dominate. Now that would be far more exciting! No?

Nail on the head..........but since when have the red tops ever been objective! The media in this country are killing our game, make no bones about it. The incredibly ironic thing about it is, that the more they drag our game into the gutter, the closer they bring themselves to be out of a job! The less money there is, the less 'pundits' will be required. They thick bampots just don't see it. The English media constantly talk up the English Premier League. You don't hear them bashing their own product. Continual media support is what has made the English game what it is. When will the muppets learn?

Nah it wasn't me. I was listening to it I drove home from work, so couldn't phone in, but the disrespect the media show our club is disgusting. Like someone else said, if this had happened to Celtic or Rangers there would be a media outcry! What Craig Brown has done over the last few days is appalling and disrespecful. The media aren't interested because it's only little old Motherwell. BUT you know what, like after every other blow........we will keep on punching above our weight and might actually end up better off than we were under the two old sods! We are Motherwell........