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Part Time Fitba


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I'm sure a few of us have heard the rumours (and I believe they are only that) over the weekend. That ourselves and St Mirren, and Dunfermline (no Killie?) will be playing part time football next season. I heard it from three seperate people....all supporting different teams. None of them Motherwell I should add :laugh:

 

The Rangers fans mixing it? Some noticing the amount of first team players we will lose very shortly and seeing it as a 'clear out'? Some fearing the worst if, as could happen, we exit both Cups at the first attempt and produce a bottom six finish? The Well Society potentially not raising required funds? No John Boyle type at the helm to dig deep? Budget being slashed year on year with experience and quality thin on the ground? A bit of everything leading to those rumours?

 

Thoughts on the above? Thoughts on what would occur (relegation etc.) if we did go PT in the top tier? Short term, long term etc. The status of those players who will be with us past the summer........

 

Just trying to provoke discussion on the subject.

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These stories have been circulating on and off for months an the news that we are going to post a loss for last year and rumours that the European games didn't generate as much cash as hoped all go to fuel these stories. What I would like to see is the board coming out with a statement to the fans about the current state of finances to either put an end to them or prepare us for what potentially lies ahead.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMp8aDH8d9M

 

No chance in hell.

 

Seriously though, I just don't see it coming. There would be a vast number of other avenues which the club would try to go down before it got to the part time stage, and I haven't seen anything bar for some rumours and hearsay on Twitter and the like to suggest that it's at that drastic a stage yet.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMp8aDH8d9M

 

No chance in hell.

 

Seriously though, I just don't see it coming. There would be a vast number of other avenues which the club would try to go down before it got to the part time stage, and I haven't seen anything bar for some rumours and hearsay on Twitter and the like to suggest that it's at that drastic a stage yet.

 

Whilst talking about rumours that were BS, mind McMahon was going to make a bid for Newcastle. I was disappointed that wasn't true.

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A business that turns over around 4 million a year has no need to go part time. The loss was pretty much predicted this year and have made cuts that are more than the loss (IMO). We were also told that there would be money to replace Jennings and the deal for the player we went for fell through. There are teams in a worse financial state than us.

 

However, the inaction of the club is slighlty worrying. They have made no attempt to push their earlier Steelmen forever campaign. After the initial burst when they said that more fundraising ideas will follow we have heard the square root of hee haw. They are either incompetent, lacking decent ideas or don't need the money as much as everyone thinks.

 

Anyway I will be the new sugar daddy by the Inverness game when I win the £133 million tonight :whistling: .

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Sounds like utter bollocks!

 

We will have made good money from Europe...

 

From uefa.com 2011/12 money:

 

"All the clubs that played in one or more of the 2011/12 UEFA Europa League qualifying rounds received €90,000 per round, ie a maximum of €270,000, whether they played in the group stage or not.

 

In addition, each club knocked out in the play-offs received €90,000."

 

And

 

"Clubs which took part in the UEFA Champions League qualifying rounds also received solidarity payments – each domestic champion which did not qualify for the group stage received €200,000, while clubs who were eliminated in the three qualifying rounds received €130,000 for each round played, up to a maximum of €390,000. Each of the 20 teams involved in the play-off matches received a fixed amount of €2.1m, irrespective of the result of their ties."

 

Not to mention 2 big crowds at top prices, merchandise etc.

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Sounds like utter bollocks!

 

We will have made good money from Europe...

 

From uefa.com 2011/12 money:

 

"All the clubs that played in one or more of the 2011/12 UEFA Europa League qualifying rounds received €90,000 per round, ie a maximum of €270,000, whether they played in the group stage or not.

 

In addition, each club knocked out in the play-offs received €90,000."

 

And

 

"Clubs which took part in the UEFA Champions League qualifying rounds also received solidarity payments – each domestic champion which did not qualify for the group stage received €200,000, while clubs who were eliminated in the three qualifying rounds received €130,000 for each round played, up to a maximum of €390,000. Each of the 20 teams involved in the play-off matches received a fixed amount of €2.1m, irrespective of the result of their ties."

 

Not to mention 2 big crowds at top prices, merchandise etc.

 

how much does it cost to hire a plane to Greece? and accommodation for players & staff?

 

and how much does it cost to hire a last minute place to Spain? and accommodation for players & staff?

 

if you know the answer to above, then you will know if we made money or not

 

if you do not know the answer to the above - then you are merely guessing we made money

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In the very recent past most of our neighbouring countries (and by that I mean Ireland and Scandinavia) had part time or mostly part time leagues that were essentially feeder leagues to the English, German or Italian leagues.

 

As far as I can see the SPL is now just a feeder league for the English league and although Scottish players have always gone south it's only a recent phenomenon that almost every English League club can out bid almost every Scottish club for a player. The Scottish game is now completely subservient to the English game.

 

As far as I can see we are trying to maintain a feeder league as if it was a 'buying' league. The boom years aren't coming back and the logical conclusion is that clubs will have to reduce player wages. Currently they are trying to do that by reducing squad sizes but I think eventually they will have to actually substantially reduce 'the going rate' of the average professional.

 

We aren't at a point quite yet where I can foresee the top tier of our game having to go part time but I can see a time, in the not too distant future, when clubs reduce the number of professionals to a bare minimum (perhaps only 14 or 15 pros)with the rest either low paid youngsters or part time players.

 

In actual fact this used to be the model for most of the clubs outside the top division and occasionally top tier clubs (didn't Hamilton Accies, Clydebank and possibly Dumbarton play in the top division with mixed squads?). The lower leagues back in those days used to produce some excellent players many of whom went on to international level so I don't think its necessarily the worst thing that could happen.

 

Incidentally the Norwegian Tippeligaen, which only became professional in 1992, has a TV deal worth £45 million a year in contrast to the SPL deal which is worth only about £16 million a year.

 

Financially, we are miles behind right now.

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how much does it cost to hire a plane to Greece? and accommodation for players & staff?

 

and how much does it cost to hire a last minute place to Spain? and accommodation for players & staff?

 

if you know the answer to above, then you will know if we made money or not

 

if you do not know the answer to the above - then you are merely guessing we made money

 

I have no idea, and to be honest, hadn't even considered the outgoings involved.

 

I'd still be surprised if they hadn't turned a profit from the 2 home gates, and the prize money though.

 

My main point is, I don't see us going part time in the foreseeable future.

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