If Hibs were offered a League 2 place......

[HH81]

in England say tomorrow would you want Hibs to accept it?

Or are you happy staying in the SPL????

I get asked this question all the time at work.... wouldn't you rather Hibs played in English leagues etc..... I always say stay in the SPL to the question but sometimes for selfish reasons I'd like to see Hibs play down here more. Maybe even a UK League cup :agree:

[Calvin]

Yeah I definitely would. The only negatives are that we would never play in Europe again or have a chance of winning a major cup but the SPL is so bad that I think it would be worth it.

[Bostonhibby]

Good question, League cup is a great idea, league 2? well for purely selfish reasons yes, but probably better to sort ourselves out and crack on re-establishing ourselves in Scotland, especially if Edinburgh is only going to have one top flight city based team.

Ordinarily an average Hibs side would skate through the current league 2 sides I have seen, Now we'd still lose quite a few, few good days out though :greengrin

[E10 Rifle]

I tell you it's an ok standard too and damn good fun. We'd have a ball for a couple of seasons as I reckon Hibs would get promoted and then be in with a good shout the next season too. The play-offs are a great invention and keep just about every team interested until the last few weeks of the season when only a few in each league are not involved in a battle at either end of the table.

[Cabbage East]

Nah you're alright.

[Sylar]

The sheer increase in costs associated with such a move for both club and average supporter makes me say "no", but the lure of playing new teams and visiting new stadia would be tempting.

I certainly do like the notion of a British Cup replacing the league cups north and south of the border.

[HibbyAndy]

No thanks.

[SteveHFC]

No thanks.

I would rather play the likes of Alloa and Dumbarton 4 times a season.

[frazeHFC]

Hell yeah!

[lucky]

Yes for me the SPL is dead. A British league would help Scottish clubs but they would not want us.

[mmmmhibby]

i would jump at the chance. after years and years of having to put up listening to scottish football being tarnished by the political and religious views of the OF, a chance in league 2 would be so refreshing. unfortunately it aint gonna happen.

[greenlex]

I'd rather we went into te bottom league in Spain to be honest. Or even Germany.

[frazeHFC]

I would love a British Cup. Can you imagine Man City away for example, would just be amazing!!! (bar the result)

[Sir David Gray]

Yeah I definitely would. The only negatives are that we would never play in Europe again or have a chance of winning a major cup but the SPL is so bad that I think it would be worth it.

We hardly do either of those things at the moment anyway.

I definitely think that a club the size of Hibs could, in time, get promotion to the Championship. That's about as good as it would get but with the English revenue that we would receive, you never know.

[Hibbyradge]

In a heart beat. :agree:

[Hainan Hibs]

I'd rather play in the 3rd division of Scotland.

[frazeHFC]

Talking of a British Cup. I could imagine us eagerly anticipating the draw, hoping for a big English team away.........then we get Hamilton and get knocked out. :na na:

[Eyrie]

We hardly do either of those things at the moment anyway.

I definitely think that a club the size of Hibs could, in time, get promotion to the Championship. That's about as good as it would get but with the English revenue that we would receive, you never know.
Spot on. Pretty decent standard of football in the Championship as well.

[Big Frank]

would love it

[Biggie]

yep, would look forward to that.....

[Sunny1875]

The question is would you be happy not to have a Scottish national team ?
If we are serious about playing different opposition then having a product good enough to play a few games in Europe should be Hibs aim every season.

[snooky]

The question is would you be happy not to have a Scottish national team ?
If we are serious about playing different opposition then having a product good enough to play a few games in Europe should be Hibs aim every season.

We've no' had a Scottish national team since Law, Baxter & Bremner.
:wink:

[Hibbyradge]

The question is would you be happy not to have a Scottish national team ?
If we are serious about playing different opposition then having a product good enough to play a few games in Europe should be Hibs aim every season.

Not so.

There would still be a Scottish league set up.

[Dashing Bob S]

It would never happen, and I really think it's such a waste of energy when people talk about Scottish clubs playing in England. Yes, our league is a mess, as are the leagues of just about all the smaller nations, as they can't compete with TV money that goes to clubs in the more populated countries. But it isn't responsibility of the bigger countries to sort out the problems of the smaller ones, and why should they? If anything, leagues like the premiership and La Liga will have fewer games in the future, with 16 teams considered by administrators to be the number to work towards. So who is going to vote for more competition for TV cash, and trophies/Europe slots, increased hooliganism and policing costs associated with 'nationalist' games, and a possible destabilization of the political/social relationships between the constituent countries? Thy don't need us, we bring zero to the table. Never have, never will.

Our obvious route salvation is to get together with other small nations and draw up a combined League structure that can rival that of Spain, England, Italy, Germany in the long run, and France and Russia in the short term. There would probably need to be two leagues, one for the Western and the other for the Eastern countries. That would give Europe eight professional structures, good for the allocation of European Cup and Europa Cup places, and with appeal to broadcasters.

It's the logical progression, but it'll be a long time coming as our administrators would rather preside over a sinking ship, or piteously beg the English to help us, instead getting off their backsides and coming out with some proposals. That would require some thought, vision and a bit of work.

[joe breezy]

In a word yes. Someone was talking about ambition on another thread, unfortunately ambition is limited in a Scottish league just like the business I'm in, which is why I moved to London.

I can't see it ever getting much better in the current set up

[Perspective]

I'd echo those who say they'd rather play in the Scottish Third Division.

I consider myself patriotic and I'm proud of Hibs' history as a Scottish club. I think we'd lose all identity if we joined some *******ised British league.

For that reason I'm not up for a League Cup either. I'd probably stop going if we did. It wouldn't be Hibs for me any more.

I still think the passion is there for the game up here. We just need to make sure it's harnessed in the right way and get people going to games again.

[ScottB]

It would never happen, and I really think it's such a waste of energy when people talk about Scottish clubs playing in England. Yes, our league is a mess, as are the leagues of just about all the smaller nations, as they can't compete with TV money that goes to clubs in the more populated countries. But it isn't responsibility of the bigger countries to sort out the problems of the smaller ones, and why should they? If anything, leagues like the premiership and La Liga will have fewer games in the future, with 16 teams considered by administrators to be the number to work towards. So who is going to vote for more competition for TV cash, and trophies/Europe slots, increased hooliganism and policing costs associated with 'nationalist' games, and a possible destabilization of the political/social relationships between the constituent countries? Thy don't need us, we bring zero to the table. Never have, never will.

Our obvious route salvation is to get together with other small nations and draw up a combined League structure that can rival that of Spain, England, Italy, Germany in the long run, and France and Russia in the short term. There would probably need to be two leagues, one for the Western and the other for the Eastern countries. That would give Europe eight professional structures, good for the allocation of European Cup and Europa Cup places, and with appeal to broadcasters.

It's the logical progression, but it'll be a long time coming as our administrators would rather preside over a sinking ship, or piteously beg the English to help us, instead getting off their backsides and coming out with some proposals. That would require some thought, vision and a bit of work.

Only problem is, rather like the hope for the Europa League sparking more interest than the UEFA Cup did at the end, it will get over shadowed.

If the small leagues are given permission to form a joint league, it will give precedent for the giants to do what they really want, and form a super league. In many ways the small teams and countries could find themselves even more shut out!

[killie-hibby]

To be well away from the Infirm and the suffocating atmosphere of the SPL, yes I would want Hibs in the English league. I would even accept the Conference league. Restructuring of British football will come when inevitably the Sky bubble bursts. That is when Hibs and other clubs who exist within their means will regroup into a British league leaving the current "big" clubs out on their a---s due to unsustainable debt. Maybe Farmer et al have this vision. Why else would they have put millions into the infrastructure of a club playing in a league which is going down the plughole.

[Steve20]

100% yes. :agree:

[Billy Whizz]

No thanks. Like to see Hibs every week. Wouldn't get to many away games

[jdships]

No thanks.

Agree 100%
The sheer cost alone plus the geography of it is a no/no
Journeys Edinburgh / Yeovil/Exeter/Plymouth would bankrupt all clubs within a couple of years !!

[Saorsa]

No thanks

[HH81]

So its quite a split going on.

We know its not going to happen but i really think the UK league cup would be an amazing idea. Imagine the big Manchester city away or Liverpool etc be class.

[LancashireHibby]

Wouldn't want to see a British league, simply because it isn't feasible on a week-by-week basis (the current League One/League Two/BSP set up sees clubs lose a fortune with the longer trips etc) but if there could be decent sponsorship available for a 'British Cup' to replace the League Cups then that would be a great idea.

[alexedwards]

Only problem is, rather like the hope for the Europa League sparking more interest than the UEFA Cup did at the end, it will get over shadowed.

If the small leagues are given permission to form a joint league, it will give precedent for the giants to do what they really want, and form a super league. In many ways the small teams and countries could find themselves even more shut out!


Already shut out! Only way forward is to join with Scandinavian and Benelux nations. Otherwise we will be even more of a minor footnote in the world of football.
A North Euro League is possible but one football club stands in the way - CELTIC - yes they are the ones that think their future lies in England.
In terms of EPl, English clubs, the local police in all areas, councils, governments and TV ain't interested anyway it's a GTF to Celtic but they just ain't listening.
Celtic keep regurgitating the idea of joining the Premiership, British Cups and on top of it all a 10-team SPL which they would turn their back on in a second
if England came calling - so our growth is stalled as we wait for CELTIC to achieve their dream - which is never going to happen anyway.
Celtic's ego is running riot.

[Bayern Bru]

Already shut out! Only way forward is to join with Scandinavian and Benelux nations. Otherwise we will be even more of a minor footnote in the world of football.
A North Euro League is possible but one football club stands in the way - CELTIC - yes they are the ones that think their future lies in England.
In terms of EPl, English clubs, the local police in all areas, councils, governments and TV ain't interested anyway it's a GTF to Celtic but they just ain't listening.
Celtic keep regurgitating the idea of joining the Premiership, British Cups and on top of it all a 10-team SPL which they would turn their back on in a second
if England came calling - so our growth is stalled as we wait for CELTIC to achieve their dream - which is never going to happen anyway.
Celtic's ego is running riot.

Ironic really, given their obsession with Ireland and all things Irish. Maybe they could join the League of Ireland...

[stu in nottingham]

For purely selfish reasons I'd like it of course. I do also think however that it would provide a better future for Hibs as Scottish football has been allowed to deteriorate alarmingly over the years and I think a chance to escape what sadly appears to be a sinking ship would be beneficial.

What would be even better and in a perfect world is if there was a situation where the lower English leagues were regionalised as they were in the days of the Third divisions North and South.

One of the advantages I could foresee would be that there would be strong away followings arriving at Easter Road as Edinburgh would be a popular and in a football sense, novel visit for English fans. Maybe that could go some way to filling the half-empty stadium we currently have.

I have been saying for many years that Scottish football is dying. That gives me no pleasure at all - quite the contrary - but I do think Hibs have to understand their place as being a team from the Capital and to realise the potential of that. For me, though it may take some years to happen and a complete breakdown of the Scottish game, Hibs eventually playing against English clubs has an air of long-term inevitability about it.

[Eyrie]

Can't see the likes of Man U etc wanting a British Cup given their European commitments, so it would probably end up with only those teams that didn't qualify for Europe competing. And that would still lead to the Scottish sides getting gubbed due to the financial disparity between even a moderate Premiership club and an SPL team.

[iwasthere1972]

Definitely no. The logistics alone would be a nightmare for our fans and as far as home games are concerned we would be as well closing the South Stand down and putting the few away supporters in the west. Our crowds are already dwindling and I can't for one minute see them suddenly rise if teams like Torquay, Macclesfield and Accrington etc etc were the opposition.

[Dashing Bob S]

Agree 100%
The sheer cost alone plus the geography of it is a no/no
Journeys Edinburgh / Yeovil/Exeter/Plymouth would bankrupt all clubs within a couple of years !!

Who cares - as long as I had time to find a tasty bird who sounded like the Cadbury's Caramel rabbit and rode much the same way.

[iwasthere1972]

Who cares - as long as I had time to find a tasty bird who sounded like the Cadbury's Caramel rabbit and rode much the same way.

:hilarious

[DH1875]

We hardly do either of those things at the moment anyway.

I definitely think that a club the size of Hibs could, in time, get promotion to the Championship. That's about as good as it would get but with the English revenue that we would receive, you never know.

Spot on :agree:. You only got to look at the likes of Blackburn, Wigan, Bolton, Fulham etc... to see that anything is possible once you get the cash.