I can smell a League reconstruction coming

[number9dream]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

At the moment we play 38 games in the premiership, with a 16 team league you'd play the 1st 30 games ( that's 2 against everyone ) then split into 2x8 playing each other once giving you a 37 game season just from the league itself I'd have 2 teams relegated with the no.1 team from championship automatically promoted and like in England teams 2,3,4,5 play off to have a one off match at Hampden for the 2nd promotion spot, the same would happen for the league below and have a weekend play off final like England, that'll give you end of season excitement.

Is J-C free to replace Neil Doncaster immediately?

[LancsHibs]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

At the moment we play 38 games in the premiership, with a 16 team league you'd play the 1st 30 games ( that's 2 against everyone ) then split into 2x8 playing each other once giving you a 37 game season just from the league itself I'd have 2 teams relegated with the no.1 team from championship automatically promoted and like in England teams 2,3,4,5 play off to have a one off match at Hampden for the 2nd promotion spot, the same would happen for the league below and have a weekend play off final like England, that'll give you end of season excitement.

seems too obvious and too sensible to be considered

[Posh Swanny]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Any "league" system which rewards a team that finishes 6th ahead of those in 3rd, 4th and 5th is a joke. Positions are earned over an entire season then turned into it's a knockout. Absolutely ridiculous.

They are what they are and you won't find many people down south arguing for them to be removed. Now they've been around for 20+ years the whinging from teams coming third/fourth has died down considerably as most will have benefited at one time or another.

Plus when you do make the finals of these things there's the "cup final" occasion - I've seen Posh three times in play off finals and the crowds have been 33k and 35k at Wembley and 48k at Old Trafford (the memories are brighted with the fact that we won all three times!). For a club that does well to pull in 6,000 each week and is not going to make the FA Cup final any time soon, they are an amazing addition the to calendar.

[bigwheel]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

At the moment we play 38 games in the premiership, with a 16 team league you'd play the 1st 30 games ( that's 2 against everyone ) then split into 2x8 playing each other once giving you a 37 game season just from the league itself I'd have 2 teams relegated with the no.1 team from championship automatically promoted and like in England teams 2,3,4,5 play off to have a one off match at Hampden for the 2nd promotion spot, the same would happen for the league below and have a weekend play off final like England, that'll give you end of season excitement.

I like the innovation here, but feel there are some real practical issues - the main one being the home and away impact of the seven games..If you end up away to your main rival for whatever position you are aiming for, and "say" away to Celtic, rather than home - it could influence the outcome which substantially..

[Blaster]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

I like the innovation here, but feel there are some real practical issues - the main one being the home and away impact of the seven games..If you end up away to your main rival for whatever position you are aiming for, and "say" away to Celtic, rather than home - it could influence the outcome which substantially..

It could be preset at the start of the season

Top team plays 2,3,4,5 at home rest away etc.

[J-C]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

I like the innovation here, but feel there are some real practical issues - the main one being the home and away impact of the seven games..If you end up away to your main rival for whatever position you are aiming for, and "say" away to Celtic, rather than home - it could influence the outcome which substantially..

What like we have at the moment with the split into 2x6, making it either 3 home or 3 away games.


My only concern with 37 league games is generally we need an even number of games per season, I just feel too many people are over complicating this and sometimes a simple solution is there for all to see.

Still have the split, play each team in the split once and then one round of random games against another team in the other side of the split to make it 38 games.

[Keith_M]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

It could be preset at the start of the season

Top team plays 2,3,4,5 at home rest away etc.

Are you suggesting the team in top place at the split is awarded more home than away games (15+4 home & 15+3 away)? If so, I think that's a recipe for disaster.

There really is no guaranteed way for any of the split scenarios to ensure a team doesn't get an unfair advantage, e.g. 3 home and one away against another side. The only way to ensure this would be if the League already knew which teams were going to finish in each half of the league beforehand.

I'd much prefer a larger league with a simple one home and one away game against every other team. It works perfectly well for almost every other league in the world.

[allezsauzee]

I'm just not seeing how adding 4 teams who were previously not good enough to play in the premiership is going to add to the quality of the division.

[KeithTheHibby]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Any "league" system which rewards a team that finishes 6th ahead of those in 3rd, 4th and 5th is a joke. Positions are earned over an entire season then turned into it's a knockout. Absolutely ridiculous.

You could also argue that a team that has been pish all season and finishes second bottom gets 2 more games to save their season against a team who finished second in the division below. I don't think that is fair.

[Blaster]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Are you suggesting the team in top place at the split is awarded more home than away games (15+4 home & 15+3 away)? If so, I think that's a recipe for disaster.

There really is no guaranteed way for any of the split scenarios to ensure a team doesn't get an unfair advantage, e.g. 3 home and one away against another side. The only way to ensure this would be if the League already knew which teams were going to finish in each half of the league beforehand.

I'd much prefer a larger league with a simple one home and one away game against every other team. It works perfectly well for almost every other league in the world.

Yes. The reward for finishing in the top 4 would be 4 home and 3 away

Bottom 4 would be reverse.

That's the reward for finishing higher. The same can happen at the moment where a team can lose out on a home game

Based on a top 8 bottom 8 split

[Keith_M]

OK, I'll post this scenario for proponents of a league where teams in the same half of the split have to play each other three times each.


Imagine in a dim and distant future, The Rangers have finally got their act together and are challenging Celtc for the Title. They've already played one match at Celtc Park and the other at Ibrox.


How do you decide where the third game is played and what do you imagine the consequences will be of that decision?

[Nutmegged]

16 team league only offers 15 Home games so whats the solution?

16 Prem clubs enter into a Champions League style League Cup with 16 lower division teams (after early season knock out round) and those 8 groups of 4 playing each other home anf away, those three Home games that every Premiership club is gauranteed can be added to the Season ticket so clubs are still selling 18 gauranteed Home fixtures - the Cup attendances would also get a major boost as more people would be likely to go if they'd already paid for their ticket and that in turn could entice broadcasters/sponsors as well as selling more merchandise and catering etc...


Any change will definitely not happen until next Summer at the earliest

[Nutmegged]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

OK, I'll post this scenario for proponents of a league where teams in the same half of the split have to play each other three times each.


Imagine in a dim and distant future, The Rangers have finally got their act together and are challenging Celtc for the Title. They've already played one match at Celtc Park and the other at Ibrox.


How do you decide where the third game is played and what do you imagine the consequences will be of that decision?

I really don't like that league format but if that were to take place then for me the fairest way would be for the team who finished 1st to have their four home games against teams 2,3,4 & 5 with their Away games against 6,7 & 8

Team who finishes second would face team 3,4,5 & 6 at home and teams 1,7,8 away


and so on and so on, it would at least give those who finished top after the regular season some kind of positive consequence for doing so

[Blaster]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

OK, I'll post this scenario for proponents of a league where teams in the same half of the split have to play each other three times each.


Imagine in a dim and distant future, The Rangers have finally got their act together and are challenging Celtc for the Title. They've already played one match at Celtc Park and the other at Ibrox.


How do you decide where the third game is played and what do you imagine the consequences will be of that decision?

I wouldn't decide 😜 but whoever finishes higher would get the advantage.

There is no ideal solution to any proposal. Just trying to fit a 16 team league into some sort of solution which gives a similar amount of home games at present

This solution guarantees 18 home games with a possibility of 19

[Keith_M]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

16 team league only offers 15 Home games so whats the solution?

16 Prem clubs enter into a Champions League style League Cup with 16 lower division teams (after early season knock out round) and those 8 groups of 4 playing each other home anf away, those three Home games that every Premiership club is gauranteed can be added to the Season ticket so clubs are still selling 18 gauranteed Home fixtures - the Cup attendances would also get a major boost as more people would be likely to go if they'd already paid for their ticket and that in turn could entice broadcasters/sponsors as well as selling more merchandise and catering etc...

....

That's pretty much how the League Cup used to be.

On the downside, the attendances at a lot of the group games were really poor. Though I suppose that's the same for the current format as well.

[Geo_1875]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

You could also argue that a team that has been pish all season and finishes second bottom gets 2 more games to save their season against a team who finished second in the division below. I don't think that is fair.

That could be argued but we were talking about the English play-off system which is different. I agree though that play-offs in a so-called league system are unfair.

[Mr White]

14 team league play each other twice then a top 6 bottom 8 split. 36 league games fir top 6, 40 for bottom 8. Equal number of home and away games. Not saying it would be perfect but it's one of the few options that doesn't give the possibility of playing 1 team 3 times away in one season and only 1 at home.

[rabcp1]

I would like to see a 16 team league influenced by the Belgian model splitting into 4 groups of 4 after 30 games. The top 4 teams battle it out for the title. The teams 5th-8th play to qualify for a European playoff place where the teams in 4th and 5th place will meet in a 2 legged playoff with the winner taking the last Europa League spot (depending on the Scottish Cup winner). The teams 9th-12th play to avoid coming 12th and playing in the relegtaion play off semi final while the teams 13th-16th battle to avoid the drop and play off. The teams in 12th & 14th then meet in a 2 legged playoff with the loser entering the relegation playoff final.

This system would give us 36 games a season with an even number of home and away games along with ensuing that every side has something to play for throughout the season.

Team 1 – CL Qualification/Qualifiers
Team 2 – EL Qualification/CL Qualifiers
Team 3 – EL Qualifiers
Team 4 – European Play-Off’s
————————————
Team 5 – European Play-Off’s
Team 6
Team 7
Team 8
————————————
Team 9
Team 10
Team 11
Team 12 – Relegation Play off Semi Final
————————————
Team 13
Team 14 – Relegation Play off Semi Final
Team 15 – Automatic Relegation
Team 16 – Automatic Relegation

[Phil MaGlass]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

I would like to see a 16 team league influenced by the Belgian model splitting into 4 groups of 4 after 30 games. The top 4 teams battle it out for the title. The teams 5th-8th play to qualify for a European playoff place where the teams in 4th and 5th place will meet in a 2 legged playoff with the winner taking the last Europa League spot (depending on the Scottish Cup winner). The teams 9th-12th play to avoid coming 12th and playing in the relegtaion play off semi final while the teams 13th-16th battle to avoid the drop and play off. The teams in 12th & 14th then meet in a 2 legged playoff with the loser entering the relegation playoff final.

This system would give us 36 games a season with an even number of home and away games along with ensuing that every side has something to play for throughout the season.

Team 1 – CL Qualification/Qualifiers
Team 2 – EL Qualification/CL Qualifiers
Team 3 – EL Qualifiers
Team 4 – European Play-Off’s
————————————
Team 5 – European Play-Off’s
Team 6
Team 7
Team 8
————————————
Team 9
Team 10
Team 11
Team 12 – Relegation Play off Semi Final
————————————
Team 13
Team 14 – Relegation Play off Semi Final
Team 15 – Automatic Relegation
Team 16 – Automatic Relegation

I like it bhut teams 9-12 wouldnt really be playing for anything.

[rabcp1]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

I like it bhut teams 9-12 wouldnt really be playing for anything.

They'd be playing to avoid finishing 12th and being dragged into the relegation playoffs

[Geo_1875]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

They'd be playing to avoid finishing 12th and being dragged into the relegation playoffs

Why can 12th be relegated but 13th can't. That's the biggest load of pish on an already pish soaked thread.

A league is a competition played over a set number of games with teams position decided by points gained from winning or drawing matches. Splits and play-offs are manipulations to make games "meaningful and exciting". If they hadn't changed the rules to keep already rich clubs happy they wouldn't have to **** about with our league now.

[Joe6-2]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Agreed, it's box office but unfair.

It's an absolute joke! How anyone sat round a table and agreed this was a good idea, I will never, ever know!

[Diclonius]

Look, we all know what the media want so let's just give them it.

Scottish Premiership: 2 teams
Teams play each other 38 times a season. The winner qualifies for the Champions League and the bottom team qualifies for the Europa League. No relegation.
Rangers have been "invited" to play in this league along with last year's champions.

Scottish Championship: 18 teams
Teams play each other twice a season. The winner recieves the Scottish Championship trophy and a place in the Europa League. 2 teams automatically relegated, the 16th placed team plays a two-legged relegation playoff with the winner of the promotion semi-final from the Scottish Football League.

Scottish Football League North and South: 20 teams per division
Leagues are regionalised from here on. Teams play each other twice a season, the winners are automatically promoted to the Scottish Championship. The two second placed teams play each other in a two-legged playoff, the winner plays the 16th placed team in the Championship. Two teams are automatically relegated, the 18th placed team plays the 3rd placed team from the division below. Pyramid structure continues right down.

[Bristolhibby]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

I like the innovation here, but feel there are some real practical issues - the main one being the home and away impact of the seven games..If you end up away to your main rival for whatever position you are aiming for, and "say" away to Celtic, rather than home - it could influence the outcome which substantially..

Here we go.

Home v Away drawn at random by a computer. None of this balancing out etc. Pure chance. You could get 7 away games for 3 seasons, then 5 seasons of home games. Luck of the draw. And the draw could be a relegation decider Derby, then again, so be it.

J

[Bristolhibby]

Simples.

2 x leagues of 20.

Play each other twice. 38 games.

Done.

J

[Nutmegged]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

I would like to see a 16 team league influenced by the Belgian model splitting into 4 groups of 4 after 30 games. The top 4 teams battle it out for the title. The teams 5th-8th play to qualify for a European playoff place where the teams in 4th and 5th place will meet in a 2 legged playoff with the winner taking the last Europa League spot (depending on the Scottish Cup winner). The teams 9th-12th play to avoid coming 12th and playing in the relegtaion play off semi final while the teams 13th-16th battle to avoid the drop and play off. The teams in 12th & 14th then meet in a 2 legged playoff with the loser entering the relegation playoff final.

This system would give us 36 games a season with an even number of home and away games along with ensuing that every side has something to play for throughout the season.

Team 1 – CL Qualification/Qualifiers
Team 2 – EL Qualification/CL Qualifiers
Team 3 – EL Qualifiers
Team 4 – European Play-Off’s
————————————
Team 5 – European Play-Off’s
Team 6
Team 7
Team 8
————————————
Team 9
Team 10
Team 11
Team 12 – Relegation Play off Semi Final
————————————
Team 13
Team 14 – Relegation Play off Semi Final
Team 15 – Automatic Relegation
Team 16 – Automatic Relegation

Did you copy and paste this from me? Haha

[Geo_1875]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Look, we all know what the media want so let's just give them it.

Scottish Premiership: 2 teams
Teams play each other 38 times a season. The winner qualifies for the Champions League and the bottom team qualifies for the Europa League. No relegation.
Rangers have been "invited" to play in this league along with last year's champions.

Scottish Championship: 18 teams
Teams play each other twice a season. The winner recieves the Scottish Championship trophy and a place in the Europa League. 2 teams automatically relegated, the 16th placed team plays a two-legged relegation playoff with the winner of the promotion semi-final from the Scottish Football League.

Scottish Football League North and South: 20 teams per division
Leagues are regionalised from here on. Teams play each other twice a season, the winners are automatically promoted to the Scottish Championship. The two second placed teams play each other in a two-legged playoff, the winner plays the 16th placed team in the Championship. Two teams are automatically relegated, the 18th placed team plays the 3rd placed team from the division below. Pyramid structure continues right down.

A brilliant suggestion, BUT.....

What happens if both or even all three teams relegated from the Championship are from the far North or South of Scotland? How do you decide which regional league they will play in?

[Nutmegged]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

That's pretty much how the League Cup used to be.

On the downside, the attendances at a lot of the group games were really poor. Though I suppose that's the same for the current format as well.

Yeah i know thats how the League Cup used to be, you'd hope that with more free weekends we could use those to play some tjes and as they'd be on the Season Ticket it might encourage morw fans to go to those games given that they'd have already paid for them

[jacomo]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Look, we all know what the media want so let's just give them it.

Scottish Premiership: 2 teams
Teams play each other 38 times a season. The winner qualifies for the Champions League and the bottom team qualifies for the Europa League. No relegation.
Rangers have been "invited" to play in this league along with last year's champions.

Scottish Championship: 18 teams
Teams play each other twice a season. The winner recieves the Scottish Championship trophy and a place in the Europa League. 2 teams automatically relegated, the 16th placed team plays a two-legged relegation playoff with the winner of the promotion semi-final from the Scottish Football League.

Scottish Football League North and South: 20 teams per division
Leagues are regionalised from here on. Teams play each other twice a season, the winners are automatically promoted to the Scottish Championship. The two second placed teams play each other in a two-legged playoff, the winner plays the 16th placed team in the Championship. Two teams are automatically relegated, the 18th placed team plays the 3rd placed team from the division below. Pyramid structure continues right down.

This is fine but I think qualification for Europe is wasted on the Premiership - surely it just gets in the way?

Instead they could play each other mid week, but in more exotic locations like Dublin or Belfast?

[lord bunberry]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Simples.

2 x leagues of 20.

Play each other twice. 38 games.

Done.

J

That's what I'd go for, nice and simple with no stupid splits. 3 relegation places.