Andy_P Posted May 18, 2016 Report Share Posted May 18, 2016 Local rag over here in Bargeddieshire suggesting a pre-season game against the Rovers at Cliftonhill may be in the offing. No suggestion as to whether it's the first-team or 20's. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/albion-rovers-boss-darren-young-7994980#h8JE2UeJ2LzUA1v8.97 Meanwhile, Rovers hope to revive the Jock Stein Friendship Cup match with Celtic later this summer. A potential friendly at home to Motherwell is also lined up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kmcalpin Posted May 18, 2016 Report Share Posted May 18, 2016 Aha, this is interesting Andy. When the proposals for a revised League Cup were announced there was a fair bit of discussion on these boards as to whether friendlies would simply be dispensed with as being unnecessary and burdensome in early / mid July. The body of opinion, if I have got it right, was that the early League Cup section games would, in effect, act as de facto friendlies. A few of us did however have doubts and wondered if the season would simply start even earlier say at the start of July or even in late June. I'm not sure that clubs such as ours would be overly happy just diving into competitive games even against lower league opposition. The prize money at stake will surely mean that teams will want to start off competitively up and running and not ring rusty. Time will tell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lobey_Dosser Posted May 18, 2016 Report Share Posted May 18, 2016 Do we know yet if the league cup groups are regionalised? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steelboy Posted May 18, 2016 Report Share Posted May 18, 2016 Do we know yet if the league cup groups are regionalised? I don't see what benefit this would bring. The best you can really do is avoid border tories vs tuechtars which isn't really worth the effort for the hassle organising it every year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daver Posted May 18, 2016 Report Share Posted May 18, 2016 I can see the advantages of teams in the central belt and further south not having long journeys up north and vice versa. Not so much for the bigger clubs but it could really affect the likes of Annan v Elgin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjw Posted May 18, 2016 Report Share Posted May 18, 2016 Would regional groups just be a cover for creating more Derby matches? Motherwell playing away at Accies or Airdrie on a summers night would attract a decent crowd. This would probably be the same for a lot of sides. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steelboy Posted May 19, 2016 Report Share Posted May 19, 2016 Would regional groups just be a cover for creating more Derby matches? Motherwell playing away at Accies or Airdrie on a summers night would attract a decent crowd. This would probably be the same for a lot of sides. Are we going to play Accies or Airdrie every year though? It's as likely that we end up with Queen of the South or Ayr surely. The Scottish Amateur Cup isn't regional so senior teams should be able to cope with the travelling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Q121 Posted May 19, 2016 Report Share Posted May 19, 2016 Scottish amateur is regional though up to 3 rd round, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weeyin Posted May 19, 2016 Report Share Posted May 19, 2016 I don't think it's about the teams traveling. More an idea to get more supporters out. Having said that, the group format can result in lots of meaningless games. Or at least it did the last time they tried it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steelboy Posted May 19, 2016 Report Share Posted May 19, 2016 Looking into it the SPFL have said that the top placed 8 teams in the groups (St J, Us, RC, ICT, Dundee, Partick, Hamilton and Rangers or Kilmarnock or Falkirk) will be seeds. The rest of the groups will be made up of the lower league teams, East Stirling and Cove. So 8 teams need to go in a group with the two Highland teams so presumably Elgin, Peterhead and Cove. I'm sure the other 5 teams who get hand picked to go in these groups will be delighted. There is also the problem that none of the Championship teams are near those two so the groups could end up being very uneven. It's a stupid idea from the people who told us a 14 team league with a split after 26 games was the only viable reconstruction before bringing in the 12 team league with a playoff fans wanted. I doubt this system will last more than 3 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superward Posted May 19, 2016 Report Share Posted May 19, 2016 I am pleased there will be at least some partly meaningful games rather than the usual pre season dross. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kmcalpin Posted May 19, 2016 Report Share Posted May 19, 2016 I am pleased there will be at least some partly meaningful games rather than the usual pre season dross. Don't bank on it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superward Posted May 19, 2016 Report Share Posted May 19, 2016 Don't bank on it.Yeah....you could be right! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weeyin Posted May 19, 2016 Report Share Posted May 19, 2016 Aye, there's a reason they abandoned the group structure the last time it was tried - and it wasn't because there was too many great games to watch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy_P Posted May 19, 2016 Author Report Share Posted May 19, 2016 How feasible it would be to replicate now I don't know (remember we need to fit in those glamour Old Firm friendlies somewhere kids) these days but my fondest memories of the League Cup were when we changed back to a knock-out format in 1984 I think it was. Ties pretty much every couple of midweeks throughout August and September, Quarters beginning of October, Semi's toward the end of the month and the whole thing done and dusted and a European place for the winner in the bag by the end of November. With international weeks, the ever more annoying attempts by UEFA to have all eyes focused on the Champions League and the stuff like the Challenge Cup on the go I doubt there will ever be return to quite such a snappy tournament but in its day it seemed to work well. No recollection of how crowds stacked up mind you. No recollection of whether seeding was included either but I don't think so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haggischomper Posted May 19, 2016 Report Share Posted May 19, 2016 See the Champions League? It can go and take a running fuck to itself. Sorry about that, but it needed saying. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lobey_Dosser Posted May 19, 2016 Report Share Posted May 19, 2016 See the Champions League? It can go and take a running fuck to itself. Sorry about that, but it needed saying. While the money might still be flying in, I think the general appeal of the CL is in significant decline. Pretty sure the viewing figures will back that up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weeyin Posted May 19, 2016 Report Share Posted May 19, 2016 The CL was set up to keep the big money with the big clubs. TV revenues are so much higher now they could probably afford to dole out the same large amounts of money to each club even if they reverted to the straight knock-out format. That would certainly get me back as a viewer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Well-Made Posted May 20, 2016 Report Share Posted May 20, 2016 Can't remember the last time I got excited at Champions League fixture being on or when I last watched one. (Barring our albeit brief visit) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superward Posted May 20, 2016 Report Share Posted May 20, 2016 In watch watch the CL but not everyone round like I used to and a lot of the games are absolutely horseshit. Has been some crackers this year in amongst that though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grumpy Posted May 22, 2016 Report Share Posted May 22, 2016 I'm glad it's not just me that couldn't give one f{}£k about the champions(?) league 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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